זוהר, בהר י״גZohar, Behar 13

Segment 1א׳

(ויקרא כ״ה:נ״ה) כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים וְגוֹ'. פִּקּוּדָא לַעֲבוֹד בְּכָל מִינֵי עֲבוֹדָה בַּמִקְדָּשׁ, וּלְבַר מִמִּקְדָשׁ, בְּכָל אִינּוּן פּוּלְחָנִין דְּאִקְרֵי עֲבוֹדָה, בִּצְלוֹתָא, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בָּתַר פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּכֹלָּא אִקְרֵי עֲבוֹדָה, כְּעֶבֶד דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בָּתַר מָארֵיהּ, בְּכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ.

“For to Me the children of Israel are servants,” etc. (Lev. 25, 55). The precept is to serve with every kind of service in the Sanctuary, and outside the Sanctuary in all those forms of worship that are called service: in prayer, and in labouring after the precepts of the Torah — for all of it is called service — like a servant who labours after his master in all that is needful.

Segment 2ב׳

בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל קָרֵי לוֹן עֲבָדִים, דִּכְתִּיב כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים עֲבָדַי הֵם. מַאי טַעֲמָא אִינּוּן עֲבָדִים. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בְּעֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן לְבָתַר, דִּכְתִיב (שמות כ׳:ב׳) אָנֹכִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, לְמִפְלַח לֵיהּ כְּעֶבֶד דְּפָלַח לְמָארֵיהּ דְּפָרִיק לֵיהּ מִן מוֹתָא, דְּפָרִיק לֵיהּ מִכָּל בִּישִׁין דְּעָלְמָא.

Because Israel are called servants, as it is written, “For to Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants.” What is the reason that they are servants? Because it is written, “whom I brought out of the land of Egypt.” And therefore it is written afterwards, among the ten utterances, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 20, 2) — to serve Him like a servant who serves his master, who redeemed him from death and who redeemed him from all the evils of the world.

Segment 3ג׳

בִּתְרֵין זִינִין (נ"א שמהן אלין) אִקְרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עֲבָדִים, דִּכְתִיב עֲבָדַי הֵם. וְאִקְרוּן בָּנִים, דִּכְתִיב (דברים י״ד:א׳) בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. בְּזִמְנָא דְּיָדַע לֵיהּ בַּר נָשׁ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאוֹרַח כְּלָל, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי עֶבֶד דְּעָבִיד פִּקּוּדָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וְלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְחַפְּשָׂא בְּגְנִיזוֹי וּבְרָזִין דְּבֵיתֵיהּ. בְּזִמְנָא דְּיָדַע לֵיהּ בַּר נָשׁ בְּאֹרַח פְּרָט, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי בֵּן רְחִימָא דִּילֵיהּ, כְּבֵן דְּחָפִישׂ בִּגְנִיזוֹי, בְּכָל רָזִין דְּבֵיתֵיהּ.

By two kinds (another reading: by these names) Israel are called with respect to the Holy One, blessed be He. They are called servants, as it is written, “they are My servants”; and they are called sons, as it is written, “You are sons to the Lord your God” (Deut. 14, 1). When a man knows Him, the Holy One, blessed be He, in a general way, he is then called a servant who performs the precept of his Master, and he has no leave to search in His treasuries and in the mysteries of His house. When a man knows Him in a particular way, he is then called His beloved son, like a son who searches in his treasuries and in all the mysteries of his house.