Zohar Beshalach — 72 Names (three progressive editions)

סוד השם ע״ב

THE MYSTERY OF THE 72 NAMES

Zohar Beshalach Sections 161–184

MULTI-COMMENTARY EDITION

With Interpretations from:

Sulam (Baal HaSulam) • Or Yakar (Ramak) • Matok Midvash

Pritzker Edition (Daniel Matt) • Etz Chaim (Arizal)

PREFACE

This expanded edition brings together multiple streams of Zoharic interpretation to provide a comprehensive understanding of the 72 Names of God as expounded in Parashat Beshalach. Each section presents the original Aramaic text, translation, and commentaries from multiple sources.

The Commentators

RABBI YEHUDA ASHLAG (1885-1954) — THE BAAL HASULAM

Author of the Sulam ("Ladder") commentary, the first complete Hebrew commentary on the entire Zohar. His approach systematizes Kabbalistic thought using precise terminology, drawing heavily on Lurianic concepts while making them accessible to modern students.

RABBI MOSHE CORDOVERO (1522-1570) — THE RAMAK

Author of Or Yakar ("Precious Light"), a monumental 16-volume commentary on the Zohar, and Pardes Rimonim, the first systematic presentation of Kabbalistic theology. The Ramak's philosophical approach seeks to harmonize various schools of interpretation.

RABBI DANIEL FRISCH (1935-2005) — MATOK MIDVASH

Author of Matok Midvash ("Sweeter than Honey"), a 23-volume work presenting the Zohar in clear Hebrew while synthesizing the Ramak, Arizal, and Rabbi Chaim Vital. His mission was to fulfill the Chozeh of Lublin's vision: making the Zohar understandable to all.

DR. DANIEL MATT — PRITZKER EDITION

Author of the first scholarly English translation based on critical manuscript analysis (12 volumes, Stanford University Press). His work combines academic rigor with spiritual sensitivity, making the Zohar's literary beauty accessible to English readers.

KEY KABBALISTIC CONCEPTS

The Three Lines (שלשה קוין)

The ten Sefirot are arranged in three vertical axes representing different modes of divine influence:

RIGHT LINE (קו ימין) — CHESED: The expansive force of loving-kindness. The first verse (ויסע) represents this line, written in straight order because Chesed flows directly.

LEFT LINE (קו שמאל) — GEVURAH: The contractive force of judgment. The second verse (ויבא) represents this line, written in reverse because severity is indirect.

MIDDLE LINE (קו אמצעי) — TIFERET: The harmonizing force of beauty. The third verse (ויט) represents this line, balancing both qualities.

The Partzufim (Divine Configurations)

ABBA ILIA'AH: Supreme Father — the right column within Binah, source of Chesed's light.

IMMA ILIA'AH: Supreme Mother — the left column within Binah, source of Gevurah's fire.

ZEIR ANPIN: The "Son" — comprises six emotional Sefirot, inheriting from both parents.

MALCHUT: The "Moon" — has no light of its own but receives from all higher Sefirot.

THE THREE VERSES

The 72 Names derive from three consecutive verses in Exodus 14:19-21, each containing exactly 72 Hebrew letters — a phenomenon unique in Scripture.

Verse 19 — The Right Line (Chesed)

וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּסַּע עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מִפְּנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם

"And the angel of God who went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them and stood behind them."

Verse 20 — The Left Line (Gevurah)

וַיָּבֹא בֵּין מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וּבֵין מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְהִי הֶעָנָן וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ וַיָּאֶר אֶת־הַלָּיְלָה וְלֹא־קָרַב זֶה אֶל־זֶה כָּל־הַלָּיְלָה

"And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night; and the one came not near the other all the night."

Verse 21 — The Middle Line (Tiferet)

וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יָדוֹ עַל־הַיָּם וַיּוֹלֶךְ יְהוָה אֶת־הַיָּם בְּרוּחַ קָדִים עַזָּה כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם

"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided."

ZOHAR TEXT WITH MULTI-COMMENTARY

§161 — Come and See (תא חזי)

תא חזי בההיא שעתא אשתלים סיהרא, דאיהי מלכות, מכלא, וירתא שבעין ותרין שמהן קדישין בתלת סטרין, דאינון ג׳ קוין. סטרא חדא, אתלבשת מלכות בעטרוי דחסד עלאה, בע׳ חקיקות דנהירו דאבא עלאה דנהיר לה. דאיהי רזא דויסע.

TRANSLATION: Come and see: At that moment, the Moon (Malchut) was completed from all aspects, and she inherited seventy-two holy Names on three sides, which are the three lines. On one side, Malchut clothed herself in the crowns of the Supreme Chesed, in seventy engravings of light from the Supreme Father that illuminated her. This is the secret of 'And [the angel] journeyed...'

SULAM COMMENTARY (Baal HaSulam):

The Malchut (also called the 'Moon' because it has no light of its own) achieved complete fullness at the splitting of the Red Sea. The 'seventy-two holy Names' refers to the three-letter combinations from the three verses. The 'three sides' are Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet—the three columns. 'Abba Ila'ah' (Supreme Father) refers to the right line within Binah that channels the light of Chesed. The 'seventy engravings' represents the seven lower Sefirot times ten (7×10=70), the full transmission of kindness.

OR YAKAR COMMENTARY (Ramak):

The term 'completed' (אשתלים) indicates that Malchut reached a state of receiving from all three lines simultaneously—a rare occurrence at moments of supreme revelation. Regarding 'Abba Ila'ah': 'Know that when the Zohar speaks of Father and Mother in relation to Binah, it refers to two aspects within Binah itself—the expansive (Abba) and the contractive (Imma). These are not separate Sefirot but modes of Binah's operation.'

MATOK MIDVASH COMMENTARY (Rabbi Daniel Frisch):

The Moon (Malchut, representing the Jewish people and Shechinah) can only be 'full' when receiving from all three divine attributes. This corresponds to worship that includes: (1) love (Chesed), (2) awe (Gevurah), and (3) harmony between them (Tiferet). The 'crowns of Chesed' refer to acts of loving-kindness that Israel performed, which served as spiritual vessels to receive the divine light. This teaches that spiritual preparation precedes revelation.

ACADEMIC PERSPECTIVE (Daniel Matt / Tishby):

This passage exemplifies the Zohar's blending of theosophical symbolism with biblical narrative. The 'Moon' imagery draws on ancient Near Eastern goddess symbolism while thoroughly monotheizing it. As Isaiah Tishby notes: 'The Zohar's description of Malchut as Moon receiving light from higher Sefirot reflects a sophisticated theological model in which the feminine divine principle is rehabilitated within a monotheistic framework.'

§162 — The Second Side (סטרא תנינא)

סטרא תנינא, אתלבשת מלכות ברומחי דגבורה, דאינון דינין דילה, בשתין פולסי דנורא, ועשר פולסי דילה, דנחתין מסטרא דאמא עלאה, בדינין חקיקין. ואיהי רזא דקו שמאל ופסוקא דויבא.

TRANSLATION: The second side: Malchut clothed herself in the spears of Gevurah, which are her judgments, in sixty strikes of fire and her own ten strikes, which descend from the side of the Supreme Mother (Imma Ila'ah), in engraved judgments. This is the secret of the left line and the verse 'And it came...'

SULAM: The second verse represents Gevurah (Severity), the left column. The 'spears' describe judgment that contracts and defines boundaries. The 'sixty strikes of fire' alludes to Song of Songs 3:7 ('sixty mighty ones surround her'). The additional 'ten strikes' belonging to Malchut herself make seventy in total. The 'Supreme Mother' refers to the left line within Binah from which Gevurah receives its power.

RAMAK: 'The spears of Gevurah are not weapons of destruction but instruments of precision. Just as a spear strikes a specific point, judgment operates with exact measure. The sixty correspond to six Sefirot (Chesed to Yesod), each containing ten aspects as they appear within Gevurah. Without Gevurah, the world would dissolve in overwhelming kindness. Creation requires boundaries.'

MATOK MIDVASH: The sixty strikes of fire correspond to the attribute of awe (יראה) in serving God. Just as fire both illuminates and burns, awareness of divine judgment illuminates the proper path while warning against transgression. The letters are written backwards because judgment does not reveal itself directly—we often recognize it only in retrospect. This teaches humility.

§163 — The Third Side (סטרא תליתאי)

סטרא תליתאי, אתלבשת מלכות בלבושי ארגוונא, דלביש מלכא עלאה קדישא דאקרי תפארת, דירית ברא קדישא דאיהו תפארת בע׳ עטרין עלאין מסטרא דאבא ואמא, ואיהו כליל לסטרא דא ולסטרא דא.

TRANSLATION: The third side: Malchut clothed herself in garments of purple (argaman), which the Holy Supreme King called Tiferet wears, for the Holy Son who is Tiferet inherited seventy crowns from the side of Father and Mother, and he includes this side and that side—namely, the right (Chesed) and the left (Gevurah).

SULAM: Tiferet, the middle column, harmonizes Chesed and Gevurah. The 'purple' (ארגמן) results from combining blue/white (Chesed) with red (Gevurah). The principle 'Three emerge from one, one exists in three' explains how the three lines emanate from a single source, but then Tiferet rises back to include both within itself—which is why it is called the 'Son.'

RAMAK: 'The word ארגמן itself is an acronym for five chief angels: Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, and Nuriel. Tiferet wearing purple encompasses all these angelic powers.' On inheritance: 'Through spiritual ascent, Tiferet rises to participate in the light of Abba and Imma directly, then brings this light when descending.' Tiferet is called 'truth' (אמת) because both right and left agree to its existence.

MATOK MIDVASH: When Tiferet 'includes both sides,' it teaches how to serve God properly. One must not be all love without awe, nor all awe without love. The purple garment represents balanced worship. Practical application: 'When facing any situation, ask: What does kindness demand? What does justice demand? Then find the path that honors both—this is Tiferet, the way of truth and beauty.'

§164-168 — Why 72 and the Letter Arrangement

ותרין עטרין מסטרא דאבא ואמא, ואינון שבעין ותרין שמהן. מסטרא דחסד אינון ע״ב סהדין. מסטרא דגבורה ע״ב ספרין. מסטרא דתפארת ע״ב גוונין... צרופא דאתוון: אתוון קדמאי רשימין כסדרן, אתוון תנייני בגלגולא לאפכא, אתוון תליתאי רשימין לאחזאה גוונין.

TRANSLATION: And two crowns from Father and Mother make seventy-two Names. From Chesed: 72 witnesses. From Gevurah: 72 scribes. From Tiferet: 72 colors to beautify... The letter arrangement: First letters written in order; second letters in reversal; third letters written to show colors.

SULAM: Why '72' not '70'? The 72 Names are like a legal document: scribes write the details (Gevurah), witnesses validate (Chesed). Without witnesses, the scribe's writing is worthless; without the scribe, witnesses have nothing to validate. Chochmah (illumination) comes from the left, but without Chassadim (kindness) from the right, the Chochmah cannot shine. The two additional crowns from the upper Sefirot complete the count.

MATOK MIDVASH: The two witnesses teach that spiritual work requires external validation—this is why we need teachers and community. On the number 72: The word חסד (Chesed) equals 72 in gematria. This teaches that the 72 Names are rooted in divine kindness. Even judgments within them are ultimately kindness. When meditating on the Names, remember each combines all three qualities.

§174 — Connection to the U'v'chen Prayers

אמר רבי ייסא, אשכחנא ברזא דא, תלת זמנין ובכן ובכן ובכן, דאינון ובכן יתגדל, ובכן תן פחדך, ובכן תן כבוד... דאינון לקביל אלין תלת פסוקים ויסע ויבא ויט.

TRANSLATION: Rabbi Yesa said: We found in this secret three times 'U'v'chen'—'U'v'chen yitgadal,' 'U'v'chen ten pachdecha,' 'U'v'chen ten kavod'—corresponding to the three verses ויסע, ויבא, ויט.

SULAM: A remarkable connection between the 72 Names and High Holiday liturgy! The word ובכן (u'v'chen) has numerical value 72. The three U'v'chen prayers in the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Amidah correspond to the three verses and three lines. The shofar-blasts come in patterns of three (tekiah, shevarim, teruah) corresponding to the three lines. The High Holy Days link to the Red Sea redemption energy.

MATOK MIDVASH: When reciting U'v'chen on the High Holy Days, know you are accessing the same energy that split the Red Sea. The Days of Awe are times of judgment—but within that judgment is potential for complete redemption. Before each U'v'chen paragraph, meditate on its quality: U'v'chen yitgadal = Chesed; U'v'chen ten pachdecha = Gevurah; U'v'chen ten kavod = Tiferet.

§180 — The Cry to the Ancient One

כדין כתיב, ויאמר ה׳ אל משה מה תצעק אלי. ואוליפנא בספרא דצניעותא, אלי דייקא, דאיהו מדת ז״א, דכלא תליא בעתיקא, בההיא שעתא אתגלי עתיקא קדישא.

TRANSLATION: Then it is written: 'And YHVH said to Moses: Why do you cry out to Me (אלי)?' We learned in Sifra d'Tzniuta: 'To Me' precisely—it refers to Zeir Anpin. For everything depends on Atika (the Ancient One). At that moment, the Holy Ancient One was revealed.

SULAM: One of the most profound revelations! 'To Me (אלי)' indicates Moses initially prayed to Zeir Anpin (the normative divine level). But splitting the sea required Atika Kadisha (the Ancient Holy One)—corresponding to Keter. This highest level was necessary because Egypt's spiritual root lay in Binah itself. Only the level above Binah (Keter/Atika) could nullify this root.

MATOK MIDVASH: When facing situations that seem impossible—where by all calculations there is no hope—know there exists a level of divine providence beyond all calculation: Atika Kadisha. When praying for the impossible, do not pray merely from the mind (analyzing worthiness) or merely from the heart (emotion). Pray from the deepest point of the soul—pure connection to God that transcends all spiritual levels. This is accessing Atika.

SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSIONS

Having examined the Zohar through multiple commentary traditions, we can synthesize the key insights:

FROM THE SULAM: The 72 Names represent the complete structure of divine light flowing from Atika Kadisha through the three lines to Malchut. This is the actual mechanism of divine intervention in the world.

FROM THE RAMAK: The 72 Names demonstrate essential unity underlying apparent diversity. Though appearing as 72 separate Names, they express a single divine will through different modes of self-disclosure.

FROM MATOK MIDVASH: The Names provide a practical template for spiritual development. Each combines three qualities, teaching that balanced growth requires cultivating all three. True connection comes through ethical refinement and sincere devotion.

THE UNIFIED MESSAGE: All commentators agree: The 72 Names encode the complete pattern of divine-human relationship. Through studying and internalizing their structure, one gains profound understanding that transforms how one relates to God, others, and oneself. The Red Sea miracle was not merely historical but an eternal paradigm, accessible whenever one aligns with the divine pattern the Names embody.

בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

Blessed be His glorious Name, whose kingdom is forever and ever

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary Sources

• Zohar, Parashat Beshalach. Standard Vilna edition.

• Zohar with Sulam Commentary. Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag. Jerusalem, 1945-1953.

• Or Yakar. Rabbi Moshe Cordovero. 23 volumes. Jerusalem, 1962-2005.

• Zohar Matok Midvash. Rabbi Daniel Frisch. 23 volumes. Jerusalem, 1988-2005.

• The Zohar: Pritzker Edition. Daniel C. Matt. 12 volumes. Stanford, 2004-2017.

• Etz Chaim. Rabbi Chaim Vital (teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria).

• Pardes Rimonim. Rabbi Moshe Cordovero. Cracow, 1592.

Academic Studies

• Scholem, Gershom. Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. Schocken, 1941.

• Tishby, Isaiah. The Wisdom of the Zohar. 3 vols. Oxford, 1989.

• Idel, Moshe. Kabbalah: New Perspectives. Yale, 1988.

• Matt, Daniel C. The Essential Kabbalah. HarperSanFrancisco, 1995.

• Green, Arthur. A Guide to the Zohar. Stanford, 2004.

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Prepared with reverence for the sacred tradition

and gratitude to the masters who illuminated its depths

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