In this special Zohar learning, we journey into the mystical roots of exile and redemption as revealed during the Three Weeks—a time of collective soul reckoning. The Zohar asks: Why does the verse say we cried for Zion and not for Jerusalem? This subtle shift reveals a deep Kabbalistic truth: Zion refers not just to a physical place, but to the innermost point of the soul—the Shechinah herself—exiled and in pain when her children are disconnected from their source.

The tears for Zion are the tears of the Shechinah, mourning the lost intimacy between the Divine and humanity. And yet, these tears are not just grief—they are gateways to awakening. When we cry for Zion, we are actually reconnecting with our soul’s purest longing to return to G-d.

We also uncover the soul’s role in healing the exile through the stories of Yosef HaTzaddik and Pinchas. Yosef, who descended into Egypt yet remained connected to the covenant, becomes the archetype of spiritual resilience—meriting entry into the Holy of Holies. Pinchas, through his radical act of truth, transcends judgment and becomes the vessel of peace and eternal priesthood. These tzaddikim teach us that spiritual courage, aligned with truth and the protection of the covenant, can transform the darkest times into portals of redemption.