זוהר, בראשית ל״טZohar, Bereshit 39

Section 39 of 102 in Bereshit — 35 segments

Segment 1א׳

רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח (תהילים ק״ד:ג׳) הַמְקָרֶה בַמַּיִם עֲלִיּוֹתָיו וְגו' בַּמַיִם אִלֵּין מַיִין עִלָּאִין דְּכֹלָּא דְּבְּהוּ תַּקִּין בֵּיתָא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי כ״ד:ג׳) בְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכּוֹנָן.

R. Abba illustrated from the text: ‘Who lays the beams of his upper chambers in the waters, etc.” (Ps. 104, 3), the “waters” mentioned here being the supernal waters through which the “house” was built up, as it is written, “through wisdom a house is builded and through understanding it is established” (Prov. 24, 3).

Segment 2ב׳

הַשָּׂם עָבִים רְכוּבוֹ. רִבִּי יֵיסָא סָבָא פָּלִיג עָבִים עָ"ב יָ"ם. עָב דְּאִיהוּ חשֶׁךְ שְׂמָאלָא דְּקַיְימָא עַל יָם דָּא. הַמְהַלֵּךְ עַל כַּנְפֵי רוּחַ דָּא רוּחָא דְּמַקְדְּשָׁא עִלָּאָה. וְרָזָא דָא (שמות כ״ה:י״ח) שְׁנַיִם כְּרוּבִים זָהָב. כְּתִיב (תהילים י״ח:י״א) וַיִּרְכַּב עַל כְּרוּב וַיָּעוֹף וַיֵּדֶא עַל כַּנְפֵי רוּחַ. וַיִּרְכַּב עַל כְּרוּב חַד לְבָתַר אִיגְלֵי עַל כַּנְפֵי רוּחַ וְעַד דְּהַאי אִתְעַר לָא אִתְגְּלִי בְּהַאי.

In the following clause, “Who makes the clouds his chariot”, R. Yesa divided the word abim (clouds) into ab (cloud), and yam (sea), interpreting it to mean “the cloud”, viz. darkness from the Left, “resting on this sea”. “Who walketh upon the wings of the wind”: this is the spirit of the supernal sanctuary….

Segment 3ג׳

רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר כְּתִיב, (איוב כ״ח:כ״ה) וּמַיִם תִּכֵּן בַּמִּדָּה. בַּמִּדָּה מַמָּשׁ אַתְקִין לְהוּ כַּד מָטוּן לְגַוָּוהּ. וְאִנּוּן תִּקּוּנָא דְעָלְמָא כַּד מָטוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִגְבוּרָה. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא כָּךְ הֲווּ קַדְמָאֵי אָמְרֵי כַּד הֲווּ מָטָאן לְהַאי אֲתַר מְרַחֲשָׁן שִׁפְוָון דְּחַכִּימִין וְלָא אָמָרִין מִדִּי בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעַנְשׁוּן.

R. Jose said: ‘It is written, “and he meteth out waters by measure” (middah), implying that God literally measured them out, so that they were for the well-being of the world when they came from the side of Geburah (Force).’ R. Abba said: ‘When the scholars of old came to this place, they used to say: “The lips of the wise move but they say nothing lest they bring down punishment on themselves”.’

Segment 4ד׳

רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר אָת קַדְמָאָה דְּאַתְוָון הֲוָה שַׁטְיָא עַל אַנְפּוֹי דְּקִיטְרָא דַכְיָא וְאִתְעַטַּר מִלְּרַע מִלְּעֵילָא וְסָלִיק וְנָחִית וּמַיָא מִתְגַּלְּפֵי בְּגִלּוּפַיְיהוּ וּמִתְיַישְׁבָן בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ חַד בְּחַד. וְכֵן אַתְוָון כֻּלְהוּ כְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא וּמִתְעַטְּרָן דָּא בְּדָא עַד דְּאִתְבְּנֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ בִּנְיָינָא וִיסוֹדָא.

R. Eleazar said: ‘The first of the letters was flitting over the face of the ethereal expanse, and was crowned above and below, and went up and down, and the waters were graven into their shapes and were settled in their places, and enfolded in one another; and so all the letters were combined with one another and crowned with one another until a firm building was erected on them.

Segment 5ה׳

וְכַד אִתְבְּנִיאוּ כֻּלְהוּ וְאִתְעַטְּרוּ. הֲווּ מַיִין עִלָּאִין מִתְעָרְבִין בְּמַיִין תַּתָּאִין וַאֲפִיקוּ בֵּיתָא דְעָלְמָא (ועל דא אפיקו תרין נהורין חד דאקרי ארץ ונהורא דאקרי שמים) וְעַל דָּא ב' אִתְחַזֵּי בְּרִישָׁא וּמַיִין סָלְקִין וְנָחֲתִין עַד דְּהַאי רָקִיעַ הֲוָה וְאַפְרִישׁ לוֹן. וּמַחְלוֹקֶת הֲוָה בַּשֵּׁנִי דְּבֵיהּ אִתְבְּרֵי גֵּיהִנֹּם דְּאִיהוּ נוּרָא דְדָלִיק כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ד׳:כ״ד) אֵשׁ אוֹכְלָה הוּא. וְזַמִּין לְאַשְׁרָאָה עַל רֵישַׁיְיהוּ דְּחַיָּיבַיָא.

When they were all built and crowned, the upper waters and the lower waters, which were still mingled together, produced the habitation of the world. And the waters continued going up and down until this firmament came into being and separated them. The division took place on the second (day), on which was created Gehinnom, which is a blazing fire, and which is destined to rest upon the heads of sinners.’

…and 30 more segments in this section.

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Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

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

English: rendered from the Aramaic for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a commentary; the Zohar is learned with a teacher