זוהר, אחרי מות מ״הZohar, Achrei Mot 45

Segment 1א׳

תָּאנָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, יוֹמָא חַד הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי (קמ"ד ע"א, צ"א) רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה וְרִבִּי יֵיסָא בְּאוֹרְחָא, עָרְעוּ בְּגוּשׁ חָלָב, וַהֲוָה חָרִיב, יָתְבוּ סָמִיךְ לְבֵי קִבְרֵי, וְרִבִּי יֵיסָא הֲוָה בִּידֵיהּ חַד חוּטְרָא (ס"א קיטרא) דְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה דְּאִקְרַע, עַד דְּיָתְבוּ אִתְרְגִישׁ חַד קִבְרָא קָמַיְיהוּ, וְצָוַוח וַוי וַוי, דְּהָא עָלְמָא בְּצַעֲרָא שְׁכִיחַ, הָא אוֹרַיְיתָא הָכָא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, אוֹ חַיָּיָא אָתוּ לְחַיְּיכָא עֲלָן, וּלְכַסְּפָא בְּכִסּוּפָא עֲלָן בְּאוֹרָיְיתַיְיהוּ. אִזְדַּעֲזָעוּ רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה וְרִבִּי יֵיסָא.

R. Judah taught: One day R. Hizkiah and R. Jesse were going together when they came to Gischala, which they found in ruins. They sat down near to the graveyard, R. Jesse having in his hand the cylinder of a Scroll of the Law which had been torn. While they were sitting, a grave began to stir near them and to cry: Alas, alas, that the world is in sorrow, since the Scroll of the Law comes into exile hither, or else the living have come to mock us and to shame us with their Torah! R. Hizkiah and R. Jesse were greatly alarmed.

Segment 2ב׳

אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה מַאן אַתְּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ מֵיתָא אֲנָא, וְהָא אִתְּעַרְנָא לְגַבֵּי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה. דְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא הֲוָה יָתִיב עָלְמָא בְּצַעֲרָא, וְאָתוּ חַיָּיָא הָכָא, לְאִתְּעָרָא לָן בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, וַאֲנָא וְחַבְרָאי אַקְדִּימְנָא לְגַבֵּי דְּמִיכֵי חֶבְרוֹן, וְכַד אִתְחַבָּרוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן בְּרוּחֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, אִשְׁתְּכַח קָמַיְיהוּ, דְּהַהוּא סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה דְּאַיְיתוּ לְקַמָּן אִינּוּן חַיַיָא, הֲוָה פָּסוּל וּמְשַׁקֵּר בִּשְׁמָא דְּמַלְכָּא, עַל דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח וָא"ו יַתִּיר בְּהַהוּא קְרָא (ויקרא יא) דִּוְשֹׁסַעַת שֶׁסַע שְׁתֵּי פְרָסוֹת, וְאָמְרוּ דְּהוֹאִיל וְשַׁקְּרוּ בִּשְׁמָא דְּמַלְכָּא דְּלָא יְתוּבוּן לְגַבֵּיהוֹן, וְדָחוּ לִי וּלְחַבְרָאי בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא מִבֵּי מְתִיבְתָּא.

Said the former: Who art thou? I am dead, was the reply, but I have been awakened by the Scroll of the Law. For once the world was in trouble and the living came here to awaken us with a Scroll of the Law, and I and my companions approached the sleepers of Hebron, and when they joined the spirits of the righteous in Paradise it was found that the Scroll of the Law which they brought before us was faulty and so belied the name of the King, there being a superfluous vau in one place. So the spirit said that since they had belied the name of the King they would not return to them, and they thrust me and my companions out of the assembly.

Segment 3ג׳

עַד דְּחַד סָבָא דְּהֲוָה בֵּינַיְיהוּ, אָזַל וְאַיְיתֵי סַפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, וּכְדֵין אִתְּעַר (קהלת רבה פסוק שלח לחמך) רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּהֲוָה קָבִיר עִמָּנָא, וְאָזַל וּבָעָא בְּגַּן עֵדֶן עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְסֵי עָלְמָא, כְּדֵין שָׁארוּ לָן, וּמִן הַהוּא יוֹמָא דִּסְלִיקוּ לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מִבֵּי קִבְרָא דָּא, וְאִתְיְיהִיב לְגַבֵּי אֲבוּהָ, לֵית מַאן דְּאִתְּעַר לְמֵיקָם קַמַּיְיהוּ דִּדְמִיכֵי חֶבְרוֹן, דְּמִסְתַּפֵּינָא מִן הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּדָחוּ לִי וְלַחֲבֵרַי. וְהַשְׁתָּא אֲתִיתּוּן לְגַבָּן, וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה גַּבֵּיכוֹן, אֲמֵינָא דְּהָא עָלְמָא בְּצַעֲרָא אִשְׁתְּכַח. וְעַל דָּא אִזְדַּעֲזַעַנָא, דַּאֲמֵינָא מַאן יַקְדִּים לְאוֹדָעָא לְאִינּוּן זַכָּאֵי קְשׁוֹט דְּמִיכֵי חֶבְרוֹן, אִשְׁתְּמִיט רִבִּי יֵיסָא בְּהַהוּא קִיטְרָא דְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה. אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם לֵית עָלְמָא בְּצַעֲרָא, וַאֲנָן לָא אֲתֵינָן לְהַאי.

until a certain elder who was among them went and brought the Scroll of Rab Hamnuna the Elder. Then R. Eleazar the son of R. Simeon who was buried with us awoke and entreated for them in Paradise and the world was healed. And from the day that they caused R. Eleazar to leave his grave with us and join his father there is none of us that has wakened to stand before the sleepers of Hebron, for we remember with fear the day when they rejected me and my companions. And now that you have come to us with a Scroll of the Law in your hands, I presume that the world is in trouble and therefore I am in fear and trembling as I think: Who will go and tell those sainted ones, the sleepers of Hebron. R. Jesse thereupon let go of the stick of the Scroll and R. Hizkiah said: God forbid, the world is not in trouble, and we have not come on that account.