Tikunei haZohar


Tikunei haZohar, also known as the Tikunim, is a main text of the Kabbalah. It is a separate appendix to the Zohar consisting of seventy commentaries on the opening word of the Torah, Bereishit, in a style of Kabbalistic Midrash. Containing deep secret teachings of Torah, stirring dialogues and fervent prayers, the explicit and apparent theme and intention of Tikunei haZohar is to repair and support the Shekhinah or Malkhut — hence its name, "Repairs of the Zohar" — and to bring on the Redemption and conclude the Exile.
Tikunei haZohar was printed first in Mantua in Hebrew year 5318. Later editions include the ones printed in Constantinople in 5479 and 5500. After the latter Constantinople edition, pages referred to in Tikunei haZohar are usually according to that edition.

Language and authorship

Tikunei haZohar is almost entirely in Aramaic, except for quotations from Tanakh that are used in building the lessons. The Aramaic of Tikunei haZohar differs somewhat from the Aramaic of the Talmud, and from the Aramaic of the rest of the Zohar.
By Tikunei haZohar's own account, the book was composed by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Elazar, with contribution from the soul of Ra`aya Meheimna and from Eliyahu, of blessed memory; and with help from the souls of Tzadikim, headed by the soul of Adam haRishon and several Sabbas who came from Gan Eden to reveal new secrets of the Torah to Rabbi Shimon and his "Chevraya Kadisha". This accords with the text of Tikunei haZohar having a somewhat different a dialect from—and much less stylistic variation than—the rest of the Zohar, which according to tradition was compiled by Rabbi Shimon but includes earlier sources and contains additions by later generations.
Tikunei haZohar contains some additions from later Kabbalists, at least in the introductions. For example, Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo in his commentary Kisse Melekh p. 1a, explains an exclamation in the text that was inserted by the Arizal.
The Zohar Chadash states that because no human knew the hiding place of Rabbi Shimon and his son, the Chevraya Kadisha would send notes to Rabbi Shimon with their questions by means of a dove, and he would reply to them the same way, via the dove. Rabbi Shimon was distressed that there was nobody to reveal the secrets of the Torah to the Chevraya Kadisha, and therefore when he went out from the cave he began to reveal to them secrets of the Torah, part of which is the book Tikunei haZohar.
A translation into Hebrew of Tikunei haZohar and of the Zohar itself is the work Matok miDvash by the Jerusalem kabbalist Rabbi Daniel Frisch. It is written in common language, with simple explanations, in order to make the book accessible to a wider audience. It appears printed in some editions alongside or below the Zohar.

Structure, Composition, and Topics

There are two introductions. The first introduction, pages 1a-16b, tells how the book developed after Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son fled from the Romans and hid in a cave; describes the Ten Sefirot according to their colors; tells the loftiness of the Tzadikim; gives some explanations of the seventy Tikkunim; and also tells eleven additional tikkunim:
It goes on to discuss more concepts regarding the book, interspersed with prayers.
The second introduction, pages 17a-17b, contains a similar account of the fleeing to the cave, etc., followed by Patach Eliyahu. Patach Eliyahu is Eliyahu's meditative prayer which contains foundations of Kabbalah, namely, that Hashem is one and indivisible, Creator of all, beyond comprehension, but Who reveals Himself to us by the Torah and the Kabbalah and conducts the world by orders such as the ten Sefirot, which correspond to the human form—though He Himself has no body or form. Eliyahu concludes his prayer, saying to Rabbi Shimon, "Arise, Rabbi Shimon, and let words of novellae be revealed by you, for, behold, you have permission to reveal hidden secrets, through you; such permission to reveal has not been given to any human until now." Patach Eliyahu is found in the daily liturgy of Sefardic Jews, and in the daily or weekly liturgy of various Chasidim. Tiqqunei ha-Zohar, 17a-b, Petaḥ Eliyahu in full:
As an example of some of the permutations of בראשית/Bereishit which underlie the seventy Tikunim, Tikun #1 begins by explaining "בראשית" as "ב' ראשית,", as in, "This is the gate to Hashem; the righteous shall enter into it "; the righteous "have permission to enter in it , but the others who are not righteous are rejected from it." Tikun #2 explains "בראשית" as containing "יראת" and "שב" ; "the allusion is to return with reverence ; without reverence, there can be no wisdom..." Tikun #3 mentions that "בראשית" contains "ברית אש/brit esh/Covenant fire"—whoever guards the Covenant is saved from the fire of hell; and whoever is involved in Torah and guards the Covenant is called an "adam/man" fit to "sit" in the house and "see" the "ראש בית/rosh bayit/Head of the House," that is, the King, Hashem.
Certain passages of Tiqqunei ha-Zohar quote from the body of the Zohar, interpreting and developing it:
This page develops the account of creation with the Hebrew alphabet found in Zohar 1:2b-3b:

Regarding the Title, "''Tikunim''/Repairs"

Regarding the character and purpose of the book, and chiefly regarding its name "Tikunim," wrote Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo:
Comparison with the Zohar
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was involved with Tikunei haZohar more than with any other book, and he stated that Tikunei haZohar is of such different holiness and wisdom that it is beyond compare to the rest of the holy Zohar. He also said that, "Concerning the book Tikunei haZohar, one thousand books would not suffice to explain the secrets that are to be found there."
Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov reckons that Tikunei haZohar is so called because
Another reason why it is called "Tikunim" is given by Rabbi Zadok HaKohen of Lublin, who wrote, "Rashbi revealed and opened seventy faces that are in the word Bereishit, and called them Tikunei haZohar, because it is a term for light ; ohr is gematria of raz, which is the hidden light that the Holy One, Blessed is He, hid in the Torah, etc., by means of which it would be in the ability of the man to repair all that transpired upon him via teshuvah ..."

Commentaries

There are several explanations and commentaries on Tikunei haZohar. The more noted ones include: Kisse Melekh by Rabbi Shalom Buzaglo, Ohr Yisrael by Rabbi Yisrael of Koznitz, Biurei haGra on Tikunei Zohar, Chemdat Tzvi by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh, Be'er Yitzchak by Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik of Polotsk, Be'er Lechai Ro'i by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Shapira of Dinov , Kegan haYarak by Rabbi Kalfa Guedj, Netzutzei Zohar by Rav Reuven Margoliot, Metok Medvash by Rav Daniel Frisch, and the Sulam by Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag.

Customs and Influences

There is a Jewish custom to study Tikunei haZohar especially in the month of Elul, and also during the Ten Days of Repentance, since according to the kabbalists and many chasidic books, Tikunei haZohar repairs a person's spirit and cleanses his body and soul; therefore according to tradition, during these days which are called yemei teshuvah, the repair of deeds is much greater. In some printed versions there is a partitioning of Tikunei haZohar over the forty days from the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur, but this partitioning is not obligatory. In Chasidic communities it has been customary to publicize a list of praises of this custom and to distribute it and/or the book on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul
One particular influence of Tikunei haZohar is that Tikkun #21 is referenced in and other works of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in discussing "the song that will be awakened in the future" at the time of the ultimate Redemption and end of the exile: the "simple, double, triple and quadruple song... Y YK YKW YKWK." Rabbi Israel Dov Odesser and Na Nachs have understood the name and the song Na Nach Nachma Nachman as an aspect of this song.

The Study of Tikunei haZohar (Jewish View)

Despite the preeminence of Tikunei haZohar and despite the topmost priority of Torah study in Judaism, Tikunei haZohar has been relatively obscure and unread in the Jewish world in recent times, particularly outside of Israel and outside of Chasidic groups.
Who should study Tikunei haZohar

Although some rabbis since the Shabbetai Tzvi debacle still maintain that one should be married and forty years old in order to study Kabbalah, since the time of Baal Shem Tov there has been relaxation of such stringency, and many maintain that it is sufficient to be married and knowledgeable in halakhah and hence permitted to study Kabbalah and by inclusion, Tikunei haZohar; and some rabbis will advise learning Kabbalah even without restrictions of marriage or age. In any case the aim of such caution is to not become caught up in Kabbalah to the extent of departing from reality or halakhah.
Rabbinic Accolades; the Importance of Studying Tikunei haZohar
Many eminent rabbis and sages have echoed the Zohar's own urgings for Jews to study it, and have and urged people in the strongest of terms to be involved with it. To quote from Zohar and from some of those rabbis: