Talla טלא

Talla (טלא, “dew”) is the dew that flows from the white skull (gulgalta) of Atika in the Idra literature, filling the supernal brain (mocha) and descending through the configurations. As talla di-bedolcha (the dew of crystal or bdellium, after the bdellium of Genesis 2:12 and Numbers 11:7) it carries a specific eschatological function: it is the dew that will revive the dead at the resurrection. The dew is the Idra’s primary image of emanative flow, the gentle, constant descent of vivifying influence from the most concealed source.

Etymology

From the Aramaic talla, cognate with Hebrew tal (dew). The biblical associations of dew with blessing, resurrection (Isaiah 26:19, “your dew is a dew of lights”), and gentle provision are all active in the Idra’s usage.

Why not “moisture” or “mist”

Hekhal renders “dew,” preserving the precise image and its scriptural-eschatological resonance. “Moisture” and “mist” lose the specific dew-image and its association with the revival of the dead. The hydraulic register (the dew flows, fills, descends) is preserved rather than smoothed into abstraction.

Primary sources

• Zohar, Idra Rabba (Zohar III, Naso): the dew flowing from the skull of Atika.
• Zohar, Idra Zuta (Zohar III, Ha’azinu).

Scholarly literature

• Tishby, The Wisdom of the Zohar.
• Matt, The Zohar: Pritzker Edition: the Idra volumes and the dew of resurrection.
• Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism.

Hekhal Editorial. "Talla." Hekhal: An Open Reference for Esoteric Tradition. Last modified May 2, 2026. https://hekhal.org/lexicon/talla.

Hekhal Editorial. 2026. "Talla." Hekhal: An Open Reference for Esoteric Tradition. https://hekhal.org/lexicon/talla.

Hekhal Editorial. "Talla." Hekhal: An Open Reference for Esoteric Tradition, May 2, 2026, hekhal.org/lexicon/talla.

Hekhal Editorial. (2026). Talla. Hekhal: An Open Reference for Esoteric Tradition. https://hekhal.org/lexicon/talla

@misc{hekhal-lexicon-talla-2026,
  author       = {{Hekhal Editorial}},
  title        = {{Talla}},
  year         = {2026},
  publisher    = {{Hekhal: An Open Reference for Esoteric Tradition}},
  url          = {https://hekhal.org/lexicon/talla},
  urldate      = {[date accessed]}
}