(1)On the Completion of the Zohar

(2)The meaning of cleaving

(3) 1. As we know, the expected goal of the work with the Torah and the commandments is to cleave to blessed God, as said, “to hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 11:12, Ibid. 30:23, Joshua 22:5). We need to understand the meaning of cleaving to God, seeing that thought cannot grasp him at all. The sages have preceded me in discussing this issue, raising the question regarding the verse “to hold fast to him.” How can one hold fast to him, who is a consuming fire? And they answered, by cleaving to his qualities: “Just as he is compassionate and merciful, so too should you be compassionate and merciful…” (tractate Shabbat 133b). This seems difficult. Why did the sages ignore the verse’s literal meaning? It is clearly written, “to hold fast to him.” Had the interpretation been to hold fast to his qualities, it should have been written, “hold fast to his ways.” Why does it say, “to hold fast to him”?

(4)Similarity of form and dissimilarity of form
2. The reason is that among material objects that take up space, we interpret cleaving as spatial closeness, and we interpret separation as spatial distance. But among spiritual entities that do not take space, cleaving and separation are not perceived as spatial closeness and spatial distance as they do not take any space at all. Instead, we understand similarity of form between two spiritual entities as cleaving; and we understand separation as a dissimilarity of form between two spiritual entities. Just as the axe cuts a material object into two by severing the pieces from each other, so does dissimilarity of form cut the spiritual entity and divides it into two. If their dissimilarity of form is minor, it is said that they are distant from each other to a small extent. If the change of form is substantial, it is said that they are very far from each other. And if they are opposite in form to each other, it is said that they are diametrically opposite.

(5) For example, when two people detest each other, they are said to be separate from each other as the east is far from west. And if they love each other, they are said to be attached to each other as one body. This does not refer to spatial closeness or distance but to similarity of form or dissimilarity of form since people love each other because of the similarity of form between them. The one loves what the other loves and hates what the other hates. Thus, they are attached to each other and love each other. But if dissimilarity of form exists between them, meaning that one of them loves something even though the other hates it, and so on, they hate each other to the extent of this dissimilarity of form, and they are separate and distant from each other. And if they are opposite to each other so that whatever the one loves the other hates, they are said to be far and distant from each other as east is from west.

(6) As you realize, dissimilarity of form acts among spiritual entities as an axe that cuts material objects. Also, the degree of distance and the magnitude of their separation depends on the degree of the dissimilarity of form between them; and the degree of cleaving between them depends on the degree of the similarity of form between them.

(7)Cleaving to his attributes
3. We now understand how accurate the sages were, when they interpreted the verse, “to hold fast to him” as cleaving to his attributes: “Just as he is compassionate and merciful, so too should you be compassionate and merciful…” They did not ignore the verse’s literal meaning; on the contrary, they based the interpretation of the verse on its absolute literal meaning. Spiritual cleaving can only be imagined as similarity of form. Therefore, when we make our form equal to the form of God’s attributes, we cleave to him.

(8) This is the meaning of “Just as he is compassionate and merciful …” God’s every action is to benefit and give to others rather than for self-benefit since he has no deficit to make whole and also no one from whom to receive. All your actions as well should be for the sake of giving and benefiting others; this way you will make your form similar to the blessed Creator’s attributes. This is spiritual cleaving.