כאשר פתוח לרוחה היה פתח ההשפעה בהיות בית המקדש קיים, כן נסתם בזמן חורבנו, ולקח הס"א כח ככח אשר לקחה על פי חטאי אבותינו אשר חטאו. ומאותה שעה – גלגולי דברים נתגלגלו למעלה, לפי מדרגות הצריכות להתקן. כל יום מאור חדש הוא, ולפי טבע המאור ההוא, ולפי הפגם הנפגם בו, ולפי התיקון הפרטי הצריך לו, כך נמשכו דברים למטה בעולם הזה
וכמה תיקונים נתקנו לישראל בזמן גלותם, הלא המה תיקון המשנה, תיקון הגמרא, תיקון המדרשים, שכולם הם תיקונים פרטים, כולם צריכים איש בזמנו דוקא, והם נעשים בזמן שבו הגיעה להאיר מדרגה אחת שבה תלוי התיקון ההוא ליתקן
אך תיקון הזוהר הוא העולה על כולם. הנה סודו הוא הפנימיות עצמו, כי כל הפשט בחיצוניות הוא, וכאשר כל ההנהגה עיקרו בפנימיות – על כן עיקר התיקונים הוא הזוהר...
אך התיקון האמיתי הוא שיהיה ענין זה קיים תמיד, שלא יפסק
When the Beit Hamikdash was standing, the gate of influence was wide open, but it was closed at the time of its destruction, and the Sitra Achra took power, as much power as it took, according to the sins of our fathers, who sinned. From then on, things rolled upwards, according to the levels that need to be fixed. And every day is a new light, and according to the color of that light, according to the flaw that is in it, and according to the particular Tikkun that it needs, so rolled things downwards, to this world.
And several Tikkunim were put in place for Israel in the time of their Exile, such as the Tikkun of the Mishna, the Tikkun of the Gemara, the Tikkun of the Midrashim, all of them are particular Tikkunim, all of them man specifically needed in its time, and they were in place when it was the turn of a level to give light, that was needed by the Tikkun to be in place.
However, the Tikkun of the Zohar defeats all. See, the secret [of the Tikkun] is the internal side itself, because all the Pshat is on the outside. While all Hanhaga is predominantly at the internal side - so the Zohar is the main Tikkun...But the real Tikkun is that the matter (of prophecy) exists always, and does not stop.
Ramchal goes on to say that the Zohar was the most important Tikkun of the past, it is not the last word, and the time has come for new Tikkunim, far greater than the Zohar. Ramchal speaks in code. The following will unlock the code, b'Ezrat Hashem.Ramchal hints at the first Beit Hamikdash. After its destruction, the Sitra Achra took power. Prophecy was "lost," Zerubavel lost the power struggle. The Sitra Achra is in P, who took power over the Torah, and to lesser degree, also in D, i.e., Sepher Devarim. From then on, things rolled as they rolled. While the "Pshat" Rabbanim established the official Jewish society, which rules until today, a "mystics society" was established, in the tradition of the prophets of old.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was a member of this society and "wrote" the Zohar, meaning that he wrote down the secret tradition in the language of mystics. It was a tradition that was quite different from the official tradition, as implied by the Mishna and the Gemara. Shimon bar Yochai attempted to reestablish prophecy, but the people were not ready for it.
Then, the influence of the "mystics" waned until Moshe de Leon, who also wrote the Zohar, based on writings that he had. He wrote it as a Midrash on the Torah, including its flaws. This is the Zohar that we have. It was clearly not the last word. The Zohar was elucidated by the Arizal, though he still worked in a semi-secret fashion, wary of the "Pshat" Rabbanim. The Zohar is superior to the Mishna, to the Gemara, to the Midrashim, because of the external roots of the latter, while the roots of the Zohar are at the internal side, that is, at the side of prophecy.
Today, in the light of the Science of Torah, it is becoming clear how P and D took the power. The Sitra Achra took power, as much power as it took, says Ramchal. He suffered a great deal at the hands of the Sitra Achra, at the hands of the "Pshat" Rabbanim of Italy. The Sitra Achra still exerts quite some power, but the time has come to accept the truth without fear. This is the Tikkun. But the real Tikkun is that the matter (of prophecy) exists always, and does not stop.
Now read Iggeret 89:
Because, this is the complete task of man, to serve in the love of the Shechina in addition to the love of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. In this matter the Arizal was teaching correctly when he said that the main occupation of man must be with the internal aspects of the Torah, because only that gives light to the Shechina, as is said in the Zohar and in the Tikkunim, that "I will look at it and remember my eternal covenant (Bereshhit 9:16)" is said only regarding the secrets of Torah. See, here are his words, which also appear in Sha'arei Zion (a Siddur), in order to be widely published:
One who has a sharp mind should study one hour, or two hours at most, in Halacha, and the rest of the day he should devote himself to the secrets of Torah. And who is not sharp all day should occupy himself only with the internal aspects of Torah, and not with the external aspects.
That is the truth without doubt, and this is desired by HaShem our G-d. Even if many of our Chachamim will not accept this, we have no alternative to the words of truth.
Therefore, I applied my heart, and in view of the ability that the living G-d granted me, to understand and become wise in the depth of the secrets of Torah, it is clear that this is my fate - it comes from HaShem, and I will not let Him go (Shir HaShirim 3:4). And I will leave the straw that suits animals - to the animals. What is fitting to man - let be for man, as Rashbi said. I serve G-d, eating from the tree of life, according to the blessing of HaShem, Who gives me a daily portion, day by day.
