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The Zohar · Balak

זוהר, בלק כ״הZohar, Balak 25

Section 25 of 47 in Balak — 4 segments

Segment 1א׳

שִׁירוּ לַיְיָ שִׁיר חָדָשׁ, דְּכַר. מַאי טַעְמָא הָכָא שִׁיר, וּמֹשֶׁה אָמַר שִׁירָה, נוּקְבָּא. אֶלָּא הָתָם בְּמֹשֶׁה אֲרוֹנָא חֲדָא (נ"א לחודא), זֹאת, נַפְקַת מִן גָּלוּתָא, הִיא וְאוּכְלוּסָהָא, וְלָא יַתִּיר. וּבְגִין כָּךְ (שמות ט״ו:א׳) אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת, נוּקְבָּא. אֲבָל הָכָא אֲרוֹנָא, וּמַה דְּהֲוָה גָּנִיז בְּגַוִיהּ נָפִיק. וּבְגִין הַהוּא דְהֲוָה גָּנִיז בְּגַוִּיהּ, אִתְּמַר שִׁיר חָדָשׁ, דְּכַר.

The word for “song” here is the masculine form, shir, whereas Moses designated his song by the feminine form, shirah (Deut. 31, 32). The reason is that in the time of Moses only the Ark itself was coming forth from captivity, but here the Ark was coming forth with what was deposited in it.

Segment 2ב׳

כִּי נִפְלָאוֹת עָשָׂה, מַה דְּעֲבַד בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים, וּמַה דְּעֲבַד בְּטַעֲוַותְהוֹן. הוֹשִׁיעָה לּוֹ יְמִינוֹ, לְמַאן. לְעַצְמוֹ. מַאן עַצְמוֹ. הַהוּא מִזְמוֹר עַצְמוֹ, וְרוּחָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא גָּנִיז בֵּיהּ. יְמִינוֹ, הַהוּא דְּיָרִית סָבָא. וְדָא יְמִינוֹ, אַתְקִיף בְּהַהוּא מִזְמוֹר, וְלָא שָׁבִיק לֵיהּ בִּידָא דְּאַחֲרָא.

“For he hath done marvellous things”: this refers to what was done to the Philistines and their idols. “His right hand hath wrought salvation for him”: that is, for the psalm itself and the holy spirit concealed in it. His right hand takes hold of this psalm and does not leave it in the hand of another.

Segment 3ג׳

הָכָא אִית לְגַלָּאָה מִלָּה חֲדָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּהַהוּא יְמִינָא, הֲוָה לְאַרְחָשָׁא נִיסָא, הֲוָה אַתְקִיף בְּהַאי מִזְמוֹר, וְשַׁוִּי לֵיהּ לְקַמֵּיהּ, לְאַתְקְפָא בֵּיהּ, כְּאַבָּא דְּאַתְקִיף יְמִינֵיהּ בְּחַדּוֹי דִּבְרֵיהּ לְקַמֵּיהּ, וְאָמַר מַאן הוּא דְּיִקְרַב לְגַבֵּי בְּרִי. כֵּיוָן דְּסָרַח לְגַבֵּי אֲבוֹי, שַׁוִּי אֲבוֹי יְדוֹי עַל כַּתְפוֹי לַאֲחוֹרָא, וְשַׁדְיֵיהּ בִּידָא דְּשַׂנְאוֹי.

In the words “taking hold with the right hand” the comparison is to a father who draws his son to his breast in front of him so as to protect him, as though to say: Who shall touch my son? But when the son does wrong the father takes hold of the son by the shoulders and pushes him away, and so it is written, “He hath drawn back his right hand before the enemy” (Lam. 2, 3).

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Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)