Pharoah's Pin-up by Chaim Gershon

as interpreted by Avakesh 

Zohar Vaera 2:30a

" The first Pharaoh, when Sarah was taken to him, hinted to his artists and they drew her picture in his room on the wall over his bed. He had no peace until they made a picture of Sarah on a panel and when he entered his bed, he brought the panel with him. Every king who succeeded him saw the painted image, and jesters came before him, so when he got into his bed he enjoyed that picture. Therefore the king was smitten here more than everyone else. This is the meaning of: "And into your bedchamber, and on your bed," and afterwards "and into the house of your servants, and on your people" (Shemot 7:28). The expression "on your bed," appears in relation to none except him alone." 

 

Quite strking, isn't it? But, here is an explanation!

 

Shach al HaTorah quotes this Zohar says Pharoah hid in this bedroom during the plagues since this obsession was so great. Commentaries on the Zohar (Matuk Dvash, Ohr HaChamah) say this alludes to how much the Shechinah was dragged down into Galus.

To understand this we must relate this Zohar to several other events that relate to the interaction of Egypt and Israel.

R. Tsadok Hakohen in Likuttei Amarim 80b explains that every element seeks to join itself with what is like it. If a woman on a low spiritual level seeks out an elevated man it is either a sign that something within him still requires correction or, that an element of goodness within her is crying out for redemption. The impure does not desire to attach itself to the pure, if not for one of these two reasons. Why would a Gentile jet-setter, a woman like the wife of Pharaoh’s chief executioner desire to attach herself to a completely pious Jewish man? It must be a desperate cry for meaning and redemption. This is why Joseph was initially tempted somewhat by his master’s wife, for he understood that she could not be attracted to him unless they shared something on a deeper level. So happens, it turned out to be her daughter Asnat, who ultimately married Joseph.

A similar but shorter comment is found in Likkutei Torah of the Ari, regarding Shechem and Dinah. Shechem desired to uplift his spark of holiness and it led him to Dinah and to agree to circumcision. Once he elevated this spark through circumcising himself, the remnant was destroyed by Yakov's sons.

Ari says something similar about Yaffas Toar.

"..through this you will understand the concept of "Yaffas Toar". ...it is known that those who went out to the optional war were righteous, to the extent of not speaking in between prayers. How then is it possible for such great saints to be affected by the desire to defile themselves with a  foreign woman? This is why the Torah informed us that is he longs for her, this is nothing more than a spark of holiness that is intermixed in that nation, it is found in that non- Jewish woman - specifically, a spark that is related to the soul of this man is in this woman - therefore he desired her. So the Torah permitted that he come unto her and through that spirit that he injects into her at the time of intimacy, as is known, perhaps the good within her will overcome and push away the bad, and that woman will enter into holiness and convert. Even so, a rebellious son comes out of her, for it is not possible that some impurities do not remain mixed into her (Likuttim of Ari, Ki Teitsei)."

Pharaoh had somewhere very deep inside of him a longing for Holiness and Divine. When he was rejected by Hashem's own command, he sent Sara out. Unlike Avimeleach he did not offer Abraham and Sara the opportunity to dwell within his land(Rashi to Bareishis 12:19). Pharaoh's brand of impurity did not allow coexistence with the Holy but only a constant and incessant struggle to subdue and lord over it. This is why Egyptians enlsaved Jews, for Pharaoh and his people could not tolerate anything Holy. They corrrectly understood that either they or the Jews could exist as sovereigns, but not both together. When Hashem revealed His great and powerful hand, Pharaon retreated into his ante-chamber and his fantasies of subduing and ruling over the Holy, personified by Sara.

Egypts' ruin came when Hashem walked in the Land of Egypt.

Netsiv to Shemos 11:14 explains that when Hashem appeared in Mitzrayim, the powers of impurity perforce arose and were drawn towards him, like princes and potentates who go out to meet their King. I might say that they were drawn to him like flies and insects are drawn to a light and are consumed by it. This is how the gods of Egypt were destroyed.

The meaning of Pharaoh's "panel" is entirely spiritual and it teaches us something essential about impuritiy, its longing for Redemption and its desperate quest to rule or to be consumed by the Holy.

Comments

[not fake]

That's the kind of image that i really thing is super image like. If more images very real like this were out there we'd be super full of graet images in the world.

[Retha]

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