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The Zohar · Bereshit

זוהר, בראשית מ״אZohar, Bereshit 41

Section 41 of 102 in Bereshit — 10 segments

Segment 1א׳

וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַתַּנִּינִים הַגְּדוֹלִים. אִלֵּין לִוְיָתָן וּבַת זוּגוֹ. אֶת כָּל נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרוֹמֶשֶׂת. דָּא נֶפֶשׁ דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה דְּאִיהִי רוֹמֶשֶׂת לְד' סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא. וּמָאן אִיהִי חַיָּה דְּאִיהִי רוֹמֶשֶׂת. הוֵי אֵימָא דָּא לִילִית.

AND GOD CREATED THE GREAT SEA MONSTERS. These are the Leviathan and its female. AND EVERY LIVING CREATURE THAT CREEPETH. This is the soul of the creature which creeps to the four quarters of the globe, to wit, Lilith.

Segment 2ב׳

אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם לְמִינֵיהֶם. דְּמַיִין מְגַדְּלִין לוֹן. דְּכַד אָתֵי סִטְרָא דְּדָרוֹם שָׁרָאן מַיִין וְנַגְדִין לְכָל סִטְרִין וְאַרְבֵּי יַמָּא אָזְלִין וְעָבְרִין כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים ק״ד:כ״ו) שָׁם אֳנִיּוֹת יְהַלֵּכוּן לִוְיָתָן זֶה יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ.

WHEREWITH THE WATERS SWARMED, AFTER ITS KIND. It is the waters which nourish them. For when the wind blows from the South, the waters are released and flow to all sides, and ships pass to and fro, as it is written, “there go the ships, there is Leviathan whom thou hast formed to sport therein” (Ps. 104, 26).

Segment 3ג׳

וְאֶת כָּל עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (קהלת י׳:כ׳) כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגִּיד דָּבָר. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר כֻּלְהוֹן מִשִּׁית גַּדְפִין וְלָא מְשַׁנְיָין לְעָלְמִין. וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ כְּתִיב לְמִינֵהוּ. מַאי לְמִינֵהוּ. לְזַיְינָא דִלְעֵילָא. וְאִלֵּין טָאסָן וְשָׁאטָן עָלְמָא בְּשִׁית וְחָמָאן עוֹבָדִין דִּבְנִי נְשָׁא וְסָלְקִין לוֹן לְעֵילָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (קהלת י׳:כ׳) גַּם בְּמַדָּעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ אַל תְּקַלֵּל וְגו'.

EVERY WINGED FOWL AFTER ITS KIND: this refers, as already said, to the angels, as in the verse, “for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter” (Eccl. 10, 20),’ R. Jose said: ‘They all have six wings, and never change their shape; hence it is written of them, “to their kind”. i.e. that they are always angels. It is these who sweep through the world with six beats of their wings, who observe the actions of men and record them above; hence the Scripture says, “even in thy thought curse not the king, etc.” (Ibid.).’

…and 5 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)