The Importance of The Book of Zohar
And this book shall be called The Book of Zohar due to the influence of that Light from the Upper Radiance [Zohar]. Through its Light, all who engage in it impart by Divine Providence, for the Upper Light and abundance above the reason would was imparted in the secrets of the Torah. Since it flowed from there, this composition was called The Book of Zohar, meaning that it extended from that Zohar [Radiance].
Ramak , Know the God of Thy Father, 2
Because Israel is destined to taste from the Tree of Life, which is the holy Book of Zohar, through it, they will be redeemed from exile.
Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, The Book of Zohar,
Portion Naso, Item 90
The redemption of Israel and the rise of Israel depend on the study of The Zohar and the internality of the Torah.
Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to The Book of Zohar,” Item 69
This point in time requires accelerated acquisition of the inner Torah. The Book of Zohar breaks new paths, makes a highway in the desert, the Zohar and all it harvests are ready to open the doors of redemption.
The Rav Raiah Kook, Orot [Lights], 57
One who has not seen the Light of The Book of Zohar, has never seen Light.
The Rav Tzvi Hirsh of Ziditshov,
Ateret Tzvi [A Crown of Glory] Parashat BeHaalotcha
When engaging in this composition, one evokes the power of the souls with the power of Moses. This is so because while engaging in it, they renew the generated Light, which was created during its composition. And Divinity shines and illuminates from that Light as when it was first created. And all who engage in it reawaken that same benefit and that first Light, which Rashbi and his friends had revealed while composing.
Ramak, Ohr Yakar [Precious Light], Gate 1, Item 5
It is known that the study of The Zohar is capable indeed. Know that the study of The Zohar, creates desire, and the words of The Zohar strongly evoke to the work of the Creator.
Rabbi Nachman of Braslev,
Sichot HaRan [Talks of Rabbi Nachman], 108
He also said that he asked his rav to be saved from pride and constantly pleaded to him about that. He told him “Study The Zohar,” and he replied, “I am studying The Zohar.” And his rav replied, “Study The Zohar a great deal.”
Rav Pinchas Shapira of Koritz, Midrash Pinchas, 36, Item 73
The virtue of the study of The Book of Zohar is already known, as the Ari said, “A single day of studying The Book of Zohar and the secrets of Torah equals an entire year of studying the literal.
“Introduction to The Zohar,” Livorno Press, 1892
There is no comparison between the livelihood and delight in the study of the revealed and the study of The Zohar and the corrections. And he said about himself that he has no livelihood and delight even in the study of Gemarah, compared to The Zohar and the corrections.
Rav Pinchas Shapira of Koritz, Midrash Pinchas, 72, Item 3
The language of The Zohar remedies the soul, even when one does not understand what it says at all. It is similar to one who enters a perfumery; even when he does not take a thing, he still absorbs the fragrance.
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov, Degel Machaneh
Ephraim [The Banner of the Camp of Ephraim], Excerpts
There is no measurement or value to the virtue of the study of the words of the Living God in The Book of Zohar and all that accompany it, and the words of true sages, and especially the clear writings of the Ari ... By constant engagement, the gates of Light and the openings of wisdom will be revealed to all who walk the path of the Creator wholeheartedly, whose soul craves to draw near to the hall of the honorable King, the one who lives forever. Hence, all who volunteer to engage in it even an hour or two each day, are blessed.
The Creator adds a good thought to an act, and it will be regarded as though he is standing all day long, forever, in the court of the Creator, and his dwelling place is in the secrets of the Torah.
Rav Raiah Kook, Love of Israel in Sanctity, 232
Hear me my brothers and companions, the friends, who are craving and seeking the truth, the truth of the work of the heart—to behold the pleasantness of the Creator and to visit His Hall: My soul shall bend and cling unto The Book of Zohar, as the power of engaging in the holy book is known from our ancient sages.
Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Eichenstein of Ziditshov,
Sur MeRa [Depart from Evil], p 4
The livelihood of the person of Israel depends on The Book of Zohar, studying with joy and pleasantness, and with fear and love, each one according to his attainment and sanctity, and all of Israel are holy.
Rav Yitzhak Yehuda Yehiel Safrin of Komarno,
Notzer Hesed [Keeping Mercy], Chapter 4, Teaching 20
The honor and the virtue of studying The Zohar are already known: they cancel all sorts of tragedies and harsh and bad decrees.
The Rabbis of Jerusalem, 1921
Each and every letter in The Book of Zohar and the writings of our great teacher, the Rav Chaim Vital … are great corrections for the soul, to correct all the incarnations.
Rav Yitzhak Yehuda Yehiel Safrin of Komarno,
Notzer Hesed [Keeping Mercy], Chapter 4, Teaching 20
Know that the entire Book of Zohar and the obligation to study it etc., is all a positive Mitzva [commandment to do a certain action], to cleave to it and to know that God is found, in sacred knowledge in the particular and in the unifications, and with love, fear, and unity.
Rav Yitzhak Yehuda Yehiel Safrin of Komarno, Netiv Mitzvotecha
[The Path of Your Commandments], Path 2, Item 3
My sons and my brothers, accustom yourselves to delve into the study the words of The Zohar and the corrections. One who has never seen the Light of The Zohar, sweeter than honey, has seen Lights in his life, and has never tasted the flavor of the Torah. Moreover, it purifies the soul and cleanses it. Even a mere utterance through the lips is a great remedy and correction for the soul. In particular, the book of corrections, which are the actual corrections of the soul from any flaw, blemish, and disease.
Rav Yitzhak Yehuda Yehiel Safrin of Komarno,
“Introduction to Atzei Eden [Trees of Eden]”
My teacher (the Ari), gave Rabbi Abraham HaLevi good advice pertaining to attainment—to study The Zohar only for knowledge, without deep study, forty or fifty pages each day, and to read The Book of Zohar many times.
Rav Chaim Vital, The Writings of the Ari,
“The Gate of the Holy Spirit”
The livelihood of the person of Israel depends on The Book of Zohar and the writings of the Ari, studying with joy and pleasantness, and with fear and love, each according to his attainment and sanctity, and all of Israel are holy.
Rav Yitzhak Yehuda Yehiel Safrin of Komarno,
Notzer Hesed [Keeping Mercy], Chapter 4, Teaching 20
“And the wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament” are the authors of the Kabbalah. They are the ones who exert in this brightness, called The Book of Zohar, which is like Noah’s ark, gathering two from a town, and seven kingdoms, and sometimes one from a town and two from a family, in whom the words, “Every son that is born you shall cast into the Nile” come true. The Torah is called “a son.” The newborn is the attained. “Into the Nile” means the light of Torah. “Cast” is like “You will study it” [a Hebrew anagram], where you study each insight that is born in you by the light of Torah and by its soul. This is the light of this Book of Zohar.
The Book of Zohar with the Sulam [Ladder] Commentary,
BeHaalotcha, Item 88
The reason why our sages wrote that the study of The Zohar is awe-inspiring and exalted ... in all the Torah there is PARDESS and in all the studies, the concealed is not apparent whatsoever. On the contrary, a reader who repeats only the literate does not understand that there is a secret to the Torah at all. This is not so in The Book of Zohar, in which the secrets are open and the disciple knows that it speaks of the wonders and secrets of the Torah, which he does not know, and this is very instrumental for the correction of the soul.
Rabbi Chaim of Voluzhin,
Nefesh HaChaim [he Soul of Life], Set no. 7
A new Light is renewed every moment, until it actually becomes a new creation, through The Zohar and our teacher the Ari.
Heichal HaBracha [The Hall of Blessing],
Devarim [Deuteronomy], p 11
To excite the hearts of Israel to Torah and to work in the wisdom of internality, which is sweeter than honey and nectar, opens the eyes, and revives the soul, hidden delight, sweet as the light to the eyes, and good for the soul, refining and illuminating it with good and upright qualities, tasting the flavor of the hidden Light of the next world in this world through the wisdom of The Zohar.
Rav Yitzhak Yehuda Yehiel Safrin of Komarno, Netiv Mitzvotecha
[The Path of Your Commandments], Introduction
Studying The Zohar ... builds worlds. It is all the more so if one is rewarded with studying and understanding the meaning of an article. It will correct him in an hour more than the study of the literal will do in a year.
Rabbi Shalom Ben Moshe Buzzaglo,
The King’s Throne, Tikkun [Correction] 43, Item 60
I answered a scholar who asked about the writings of the students of the Ari, that the study of The Zohar is a great correction with which to illuminate the soul and to sanctify it. The Ari gave this correction to a one who was repenting to study five pages of The Zohar each day, even though he did not know what it was saying, for that reading illuminates the soul and corrects it. It seems that the study of The Zohar specifically has that power, more than the study of Mishnah, Talmud and Bible, and it is a wonder, the way its power is greater than the entire Torah, whether it is the Bible or the Mishnah, etc., those are his words.
And I told him that undoubtedly, any study of the Torah is exalted and uplifting, particularly if it is truly Lishma [for Her name]. Surely, it builds its ascensions in heaven and corrects the worlds and unites the beloved. Still, the greatness of the study of The Zohar is that the Bible, the Mishnah, and the Talmud are excessively clothed, and the concealed is completely indiscernible in them. The Zohar, however, speaks explicitly of the secrets of Torah, and even the most illiterate reader will realize that its words stem from the depths of the secrets of Torah. Thus, as the secrets of the Torah are revealed and unclothed, they illuminate and radiate the soul.
The Chida, Shem HaGedolim [The Name of the Great Ones],
“Books,” System no. 2