זוהר, בראשית ו׳Zohar, Bereshit 6

Segment 1א׳

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וְגו', הָכָא בִּפְרַט רָזָא לְאַפְרָשָׁא (בין) (תרומה קמ"ט ע"ב) מַיִין עִלָאִין לְתַתָּאֵי (לתתאין) בְּרָזָא דִשְׂמָאלָא. (נ"א ואתברי) הָכָא מַחְלוֹקֶת בְּרָזָא דִשְׂמָאלָא. דְעַד הָכָא רָזָא דְּיָמִינָא הוּא, וְהָכָא הוּא רָזָא דִשְׂמָאלָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַסְגִיאוּ מַחְלוֹקֶת (נ"א בין) בְּגִין דָּא לְיָמִינָא. יָמִינָא אִיהוּ שְׁלֵימָא דְכֹלָּא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ בְּיָמִינָא כְּתִיב כֹּלָּא דְּהָא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָיא כָּל שְׁלִימוּ. כַּד אִתְעַר שְׂמָאלָא אִתְעַר מַחְלוֹקֶת. וּבְהַהוּא מַחְלוֹקֶת אִתְתַּקַּף אֶשָׁא דְרוּגְזָא וְנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ מֵהַהוּא מַחְלוֹקֶת גֵּיהִנֹּם. וְגֵיהִנֹּם בִּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְעַר וְאִתְדָּבַּק.

AND GOD SAID, LET THERE BE A FIRMAMENT IN THE MIDST OF THE WATERS. Here in the particular (day) there is an allusion to the separation of the upper from the lower waters through that which is called “the Left”. Here, too, discord was created through that which is called “the Left”. For up to this point the text has alluded to the right, but now it alludes to the left; and therefore there was an increase of discord between this and the right. It is the nature of the right to harmonize the whole, and therefore the whole is written with the right, since it is the source of harmony. When the Left awoke there awoke discord, and through that discord the wrathful fire was reinforced and there emerged from it the Gehinnom, which thus originated from the left and continues there.

Segment 2ב׳

חָכְמְתָא דְמשֶׁה בְּהָא אִסְתַּכַּל וּבְעוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית אַשְׁגַּח. בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּבְרִאשִׁית הֲוָה מַחְלוֹקֶת שְׂמָאלָא בְּיָמִינָא, וּבְהַהוּא מַחְלוֹקֶת דְּאִתְעַר בֵּיהּ שְׂמָאלָא נָפַק בֵּיהּ גֵּיהִנֹּם וְאִתְדְּבַק בֵּיהּ. עַמּוּדָא דְאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְאִיהוּ יוֹם תְּלִיתָאי עָאל בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאַפְרִישׁ מַחְלוֹקֶת וְאַסְכִּים לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין. וְגֵיהִנֹּם נָחִית לְתַתָּא. וּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְכְּלִיל בְּיָמִינָא וְהֲוָה שְׁלָמָא בְּכֹלָּא.

Moses in his wisdom pondered over this and drew a lesson from the work of creation. In the work of creation there was an antagonism of the left against the right, and the division between them allowed the Gehinnom to emerge and to fasten itself to the left. Then the Central Column, which is the third day, intervened and allayed the discord between the two sides, so that the Gehinnom descended below, and the Left became absorbed in the Right and there was peace over all.

Segment 3ג׳

כְּגַוְונָא דָא מַחְלוֹקֶת קֹרַח בְּאַהֲרֹן שְׂמָאלָא בְּיָמִינָא. אִסְתַּכַּל משֶׁה בְּעוֹבָדָא דִבְרֵאשִׁית. אָמַר לִי אִתְחַזֵּי לְאַפְרָשָׁא מַחְלוֹקֶת בֵּין יָמִינָא לִשְׂמָאלָא. אִשְׁתַּדַּל לְאַסְכָּמָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. וְלָא בָּעֵי שְׂמָאלָא וְאַתְקַף קֹרַח בְּתוּקְפֵיהּ.

Similarly the quarrel of Korah with Aaron was an antagonism of the left against the right. Moses, reflecting on what had happened during the Creation, said: ‘It seems proper to me to compose the difference between the right and the left.’ He therefore endeavoured to effect an accord between the two. The left, however, was not willing, and Korah proved obdurate.