###### (1) Come and see..צדק‎ צדיק (*tsaddiq tsedeq*), righteous, righteousness. > Danny Matt comments: **צדק‎ צדיק** (***tsaddiq tsedeq***), **righteous, righteousness** Symbolizing *Yesod* and *Shekhinah*, respectively (see *Zohar* 1:132b). *Yesod* (“Foundation”) is called Righteous, based on Proverbs 10:25: עולם‎ יסוד‎ וצדיק (*Ve-tsaddiq yesod olam*). The verse literally means *The righteous one is an everlasting foundation* but is understood as *The righteous one is the foundation of the world*. ###### (1) ...*fairest, of all lands* (Ezekiel 20:6). > Danny Matt: **צבי** (***tsevi***), ***fairest, of all lands*** Alluding to *Shekhinah*, often identified with the land of Israel. ###### (2) “It is written: *Do not plant* אשרה (*asherah*) > Danny Matt: **אשרה** (***asherah***) This term denotes a standing wooden object apparently symbolizing the Canaanite goddess Asherah. The following, remarkable passage (until “So, *dust of the earth*”) is missing in many manuscripts. ###### (2) ***Asher*** **is her husband...** ***For Baal and Asherah*** Remarkably, the Zohar is referring here to our friend Josiah and his ultra-violent attack on Goddess worship in Israel: | 2 Kings 23:4 ff. | מלכים ב: כג:ד ואילך | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Then the king ordered the high priest Hilkiah, the priests of the second rank, and the guards of the threshold to bring out of the Temple of GOD all the objects made for Baal and Asherah and all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and he removed the ashes to Bethel. | וַיְצַ֣ו הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֶת־חִלְקִיָּ֩הוּ֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן הַגָּד֜וֹל וְאֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֣י הַמִּשְׁנֶה֮ וְאֶת־שֹׁמְרֵ֣י הַסַּף֒ לְהוֹצִיא֙ מֵהֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֔-ה אֵ֣ת כׇּל־הַכֵּלִ֗ים הָֽעֲשׂוּיִם֙ לַבַּ֣עַל וְלָאֲשֵׁרָ֔ה וּלְכֹ֖ל צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַֽיִּשְׂרְפֵ֞ם מִח֤וּץ לִירוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ בְּשַׁדְמ֣וֹת קִדְר֔וֹן וְנָשָׂ֥א אֶת־עֲפָרָ֖ם בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃ | | He suppressed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to make offerings at the shrines in the towns of Judah and in the environs of Jerusalem, and those who made offerings to Baal, to the sun and moon and constellations—all the host of heaven. | וְהִשְׁבִּ֣ית אֶת־הַכְּמָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽתְנוּ֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיְקַטֵּ֤ר בַּבָּמוֹת֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וּמְסִבֵּ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְאֶת־הַֽמְקַטְּרִ֣ים לַבַּ֗עַל לַשֶּׁ֤מֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵ֙חַ֙ וְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹת וּלְכֹ֖ל צְבָ֥א הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | | He brought out the [image of] Asherah from the House of GOD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and burned it in the Kidron Valley; he beat it to dust and scattered its dust over the burial ground of the common people. | וַיֹּצֵ֣א אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָה֩ מִבֵּ֨ית יְהֹוָ֜ה מִח֤וּץ לִירֽוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל קִדְר֔וֹן וַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ף אֹתָ֛הּ בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְר֖וֹן וַיָּ֣דֶק לְעָפָ֑ר וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ אֶת־עֲפָרָ֔הּ עַל־קֶ֖בֶר בְּנֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ | | He tore down the cubicles of the consecrated workers in the House of GOD, at the place where the women wove coverings for Asherah. | וַיִּתֹּץ֙ אֶת־בָּתֵּ֣י הַקְּדֵשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית יְהֹוָ֑-ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הַנָּשִׁ֗ים אֹרְג֥וֹת שָׁ֛ם בָּתִּ֖ים לָאֲשֵׁרָֽה׃ | > Danny Matt: Baal was the most prominent Canaanite god, often paired in the Bible with Asherah. Here Rabbi Shim’on plays on the literal meaning of the word בעל (*ba’al*), “husband.” Elsewhere in the *Zohar* (1:47b, 245b), the name Asher is associated with the male sefirotic potency, *Yesod*; so *Shekhinah*, wife of *Yesod*, is named after Him: Asherah. This startling name of *Shekhinah* and Her intimacy with the masculine divinity mirror the ancient Israelite worship of *YHVH* and *Asherah*. An inscription from the eighth century B.C.E. found in Khirbet el-Qom (Northern Israel) reads: “To *YHVH*, my Protector and to His *Asherah*.” Another in Kuntillet Arjud (Sinai) reads: “*YHVH* of Yemen and His *Asherah*.” > > See Patai, *The Hebrew Goddess*, 39, 296–97, n. 15; *Anchor Bible Dictionary*, s.v. “Kom, Khirbet el-,” “Kuntillet Arjud.” ###### (2) **over against** ***the altar of YHVH...*** > Danny Matt: The verse is understood to mean: Do not substitute the false goddess Asherah (“another *Asherah*”) for *Shekhinah*, the original Asherah, who is the genuine *altar of YHVH*. ###### (3) “Come and see: All those sun-worshipers are always called worshipers of Baal, and those who worship the moon are called worshipers of Asherah... I'm not sure how to read this section (and Danny Matt doesn't say anything!). Is it possible that "sun worshippers" and "moon worshippers" here are being referred to by the Zohar in a positive sense? That seems extremely unlikely. But then how is the verse *for Baal and Asherah* being interpreted here? If She is called *Asherah* because He is called *Asher*, then that sounds kosher (since these are being treated as legitimate names of God). But then, are the sun and moon worshippers also kosher in the eyes of the Zohar? Or, more likely, are they at least using kosher names? Metok Midvash solves the issue like this (translated from the Hebrew): > The idol worshippers who worshipped the sun and moon called the sun *baal* and the moon *asherah* to weaken the power of the flow that flowed through the supernal sun and moon which are the holy masculine and feminine, so as to increase the power of the masculine and feminine of the *klipah*. This creative interpretation solves the issue, but adds a whole unspoken backstory to the Zohar. What do you think? ###### (3) **why was this name displaced?** > Danny Matt: Why was the name Asherah, which originally designated *Shekhinah*, removed from Her and applied only to the Canaanite goddess? ###### (3) **the other nations did not deem Her happy...** > Danny Matt: The other nations did not recognize *Shekhinah* and in Her place worshiped the Canaanite goddess. ###### (3) **So this name was displaced...** > Danny Matt: The name Asherah was removed from *Shekhinah* so that the false goddess would not be empowered by the invocation of that name. ###### (3) **We call Her** ***altar*** **made of** ***earth... dust of the earth*** > Danny Matt: *Shekhinah* is symbolized by earth.