Summary
Shimon bar Yochai: Zohar X
Rabbi Hezekiah begins the discussion on the raising of hands. It is important to know that the hands should be raised only in prayer and blessing, where the ten fingers reflect the ten managers who convey the blessings and the ten sayings. The focus of the discussion then shifts to the analogy between the heavenly and earthly King and Priest, and we learn that there is also a King and Priest of the Other Side. The number ten has a special meaning, since God brought ten plagues on Pharaoh. As for Jitra, we will see that he advised Moses how to carry out the justice prescribed by God's laws and that Moses obeyed him. And the people, although they saw the miracles that Moses did, turned to idolatry and believed in the God of Moses only when Jethro, otherwise a respectable and powerful Midianite priest, recognized the greatness and power of Ha'Shem. We also read about the Pharaoh's three advisers: Jethro, Job and Balaam. Bilam was a sorcerer, but Job possessed awe, which, as we shall learn, has a special power to attract spirits from above, both holy and unholy, from the Other Side.
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