PEARLS OF ZOHAR
AMALEK BALAK BIL'AM CHAMAS
וְחָמֵשׁ מִינִין אִינּוּן בְּעֵרֶב רַב וְאִינּוּן (סִימָן נג״ע ר״ע) נְ׳פִילִים גִּ׳בּוֹרִים עֲ׳נָקִים רְ׳פָאִים עֲ׳מָלֵקִים, וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ נָפְלַת ה׳ זְעֵירָא מֵאַתְרָהָא. בִּלְעָם וּבָלָק מִסִּטְרָא דַעֲמָלֵק הֲווֹ, טוֹל ע״ם מִן בִּלְעָם ל״ק מִן בָּלָק, אִשְׁתָּאַר בָּבֶ״ל כִּי־שָׁם בָּלַל יהו״ה שְׂפַת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ. וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ מֵאִלֵּין דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיִּמַּח אֶת־כָּל־הַיְקוּם, וּמֵאִלֵּין דְּאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ מִנְּהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא רְבִיעָאָה אִינּוּן רֵישִׁין בְּקִיּוּמָא סַגִי, אִינּוּן קַיָּימִין עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּלֵי חָמָס, וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר כִּי־מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן עֲמָלֵקִים.
And there are five groups [KLIPPOT (1)] in "the numerous rabble" (SHEMOT 12, 38). These are: the NEFILIM [those who have fallen], the GUIBORIM [mighty], the 'ANAKIM [giants], the REFAÏM [shadows] and the 'AMALECITS [descendants of AMALEK] (2). And because of them [the letter] ה׳ final [of the NAME יהו״ה] (3) fell [in EXIL] from its PLACE [the SEFIRA BINA]. בִּלְעָם BIL'AM and בָּלָק BALAK come from the SIDE of עֲמָלֵק 'AMALEK [because] remove [the letters] ע״ם from בִּלְעָם and ל״ק from בָּלָק, [and you get עֲמָלֵק] (4). [After removing the letters ע״ם and ל״ק], there remains ב׳ from בָּלָק and ב״ל from בִּלְעָם, i.e. : בָּבֶל BAVEL [Babylon, the place where men wanted to build a tower to heaven], "... because there יהו״ה (בָּלַל) confused the language of all men..." (BERESHIT 11, 1-9) (5). And these [the NESHAMOT of this perverse generation] are those left over from those [the NESHAMOT of the Flood generation], about whom it is written, "וַיִּמַח 'And he blotted out' all creatures..." (BERESHIT 7, 23). And these [the NESHAMOT who came from 'AMALEK and mixed with ISRAEL] who remained during the fourth [still current] exile, these are the ones who rule with great strength. They dominate ISRAEL by חָמָס 'plunder'. And about them it says: "... for the earth is filled with חָמָס 'violence' because of them..." (BERESHIT 6, 13) ; these are the 'AMALECITS [from עֵרֶב רַב "the numerous populace"].
1. KLIPPOT: 'the Barks': everything outside the KEDOUCHA that stands in its way.
2. The initials of the words עֲ׳מָלֵקִים רְ׳פָאִים עֲ׳נָקִים גִּ׳בּוֹרִים נְ׳פִילִים form the expression נג״ע ר״ע, meaning 'bad wound'.
3. The letter ה׳ of the final DIVINE NAME corresponds to the fifth and final SEFIRA, MALKHOUT, where the CHEKHINA resides.
4. The association of these letters alludes to the link between BIL'AM and BALAK and 'AMALEK: the latter wanted to destroy ISRAEL in the desert after leaving Egypt; similarly, BIL'AM and BALAK wanted to destroy ISRAEL before entering the PROMISED LAND.
5. The harmful nature of BIL'AM and BALAK also stems from man's desire to oppose his CREATOR, as in the days of the tower of BAVEL.
ZOHAR BERESHIT 25a
AMALEK AND THE EVIL INCLINATION
וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ יהו״ה אלהי״ך וְגו׳, תִּמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק וְגוֹ׳, פִּקּוּדָא דָּא, לְהַכְרִית זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל עֲמָלֵק, דְּהָא קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹמֵי דְּלָא יַחֲזוֹר עַל כֻּרְסֵיהּ עַד דְּיִטּוֹל נוּקְמָא מִנֵּיהּ. פָּתַח רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא וְאָמַר, וַדַּאי, בְּגִין דָּא הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּמַדְבְּרָא וְעַל יַמָּא, וְלָא יֵיעֲלוּן בְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד דְּיִטּוֹל נוּקְמָא מִנֵּיהּ דַּעֲמָלֵק. עֲמָלֵק מַאן הוּא לְעֵילָּא, דְּהָא חֲזֵינָן דְּבִלְעָם וּבָלָק מִתַּמָּן הֲווֹ נִשְׁמָתִין דִּלְהוֹן, וּבְגִין דָּא הֲווֹ שָׂנְאִין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יַתִּיר מִכָּל אוּמָּה וְלִישָׁן, וּבְגִין דָּא עֲמָלֵק רָשִׁים בִּשְׁמֵהוֹן, ע״ם מִן בִּלְעָם, ל״ק מִן בָּלָק.
"Then, when the LORD, your ELOKIM, grants you rest [in the face of all your enemies around]...", "you shall blot out [from under heaven] the memory of AMALEK [do not forget]" (DEVARIM 25, 19). This MITZVA consists in annihilating the posterity of AMALEK, for THE HOLY ONE, praised be HE, has made the OATH not to return [to sit] on His THRONE until HE has taken His VENGEANCE upon him. The SHEPHERD OF THE EMUNA [MOSHE, our Master] began and said: 'It is certainly for this reason [to fight 'AMALEK, which represents the evil inclination, that the BNEI ISRAEL] went into the desert [of SINAÏ to receive the TORAH and thanks to it cancel the harmful force which was in them and which is called 'AMALEK] and that they crossed the sea. [That's why] they didn't enter the LAND OF ISRAEL until He had taken His REVENGE over 'AMALEK.
ZOHAR KI TETZE 281a
THE JUDGE AND THE JUDGMENT
וְלָא יַדְעִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אָרְחוֹי דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהֵיךְ קַיְּימָא טִיקְלָא, וְהֵיךְ אִתְדָּנוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בְּכָל יוֹמָא וּבְכָל עִידָּן, וְהֵיךְ נִשְׁמָתִין עָאלִין בְּדִינָא, עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְהַאי עָלְמָא, וְהֵיךְ עָאלִין בְּדִינָא, לְבָתַר דְּנַפְקֵי מֵהַאי עָלְמָא.
But men do not know the WAYS of the HOLY ONE, praised be He, [the reasons why the SOULS return to this world: is it to fulfill MITZVOT that they neglected during their previous stay on earth, or to atone and erase the faults they committed, or to let the new generation benefit from the merits of a TZADDIK?] [Nor do they know to which side the scales [of the balance] are tipped: that of faults, because of the transgressions they may have committed, or that of merit, thanks to the fulfillment of the MITZVOT], nor how they are judged every day and at every moment [see ROSH HASHANA 16a], nor how the SOULS pass in JUDGMENT before coming into this world [see NIDDA 16b], nor how they pass in JUDGMENT after leaving this world.
ZOHAR MISHPATIM 99b
THE SECRET OF WISDOM
כָּל מַה דַּעֲבִיד קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא כֹּלָּא הֲוָה בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא, וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין לְאַחֲזָאָה חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה לְהוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, בְּגִין דְּיִלְפוּן מֵהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא רָזִין דְּחָכְמְתָא, וְכֹלָּא אִינּוּן כִּדְקָא יָאוּת, וְעוֹבָדוֹי כֻּלְּהוּ אוֹרְחוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּוֹרְחוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִינּוּן אָרְחֵי דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלֵית מִלָּה זְעֵירָא דְּלֵית בָּהּ כַּמָּה אוֹרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין וְרָזִין דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה.
Whatever the HOLY ONE, blessed be HE, does in the world is in the SECRET OF WISDOM. It is intended to teach the greatest WISDOM to mankind, so man will learn from this WORK the SECRETS OF WISDOM. And everything is as it should be. HIS WORKS are all the WAYS OF TORAH, since the WAYS OF TORAH are the ways of the HOLY ONE, blessed be HE. And even in the smallest thing, there are WAYS and PATHS and SECRETS OF HIGH WISDOM.
ZOHAR TOLEDOT 145b