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The Zohar · Bereshit

זוהר, בראשית פ״גZohar, Bereshit 83

Section 83 of 102 in Bereshit — 14 segments

Segment 1א׳

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזִיל לִטְבֶרְיָה, וְהֲווּ עִמֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי חִיָּיא. אַדְּהָכִי חָמוּ לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי פִּנְחָס דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְחַבָּרוּ כְּחֲדָא, נַחֲתוּ וְיָתְבוּ תְּחוֹת אִילָנָא חַד מֵאִילָנֵי טוּרָא. אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס הָא יָתִיבְנָא, מֵאִלֵּין מִלֵּי מַעַלְיָיתָא דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר בְּכָל יוֹמָא בְּעֵינָא לְמִשְׁמַע.

R. Simeon was once going to Tiberias accompanied by R. Jose and R. Judah and R. Hiya. On the way they saw R. Phineas coming towards them. When they met, they dismounted and sat down under a large tree. Said R. Phineas, ‘Now that I am sitting here, I should like to hear some of those wonderful ideas to which you daily give utterance.’

Segment 2ב׳

פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר (בראשית י״ג:ג׳) וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד בֵּית אֵל עַד הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיָה שָׁם אָהֳלֹה בַּתְּחִלָּה בֵּין בֵּית אֵל וּבֵין הָעָי. וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו, לְמַסָּעוֹ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. מַאי לְמַסָּעָיו. אֶלָּא תְּרֵין מַטְלָנִין אִנּוּן. חַד דִּידֵיהּ וְחַד דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. דְּהָא כָּל בַּר נָשׁ בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא בְּגִין לְאַתְקָפָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא. וּכְדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין.

R. Simeon thereupon opened a discourse with the text, And he went on his journeys from the South even unto Bethel, unto the place where his tent was at first, between Bethel and Ai, (Gen. 13, 3). He said: ‘The word “journeys” is used here where we might have expected “journey”, to indicate that the Shekinah was journeying with him. It is incumbent on a man to be ever “male and female”, in order that his faith may be firm, and that the Shekinah may never depart from him.

Segment 3ג׳

וְאִי תֵימָא מָאן דְּנָפִיק לְאוֹרְחָא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנִּיהּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי מַאן דְּנָפִיק לְאָרְחָא (קסח א) יְסַדֵּר צְלוֹתָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּמָרֵיהּ עַד לָא יִפּוּק לְאָרְחָא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. כֵּיוָן דְּסַדַּר צְלוֹתֵיהּ וְשִׁבְחֵיהּ וּשְׁכִינְתָּא שָׁרְיָיא עֲלֵיהּ יִפּוּק. דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִזְדַּוְוגַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא. דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא בְּמָתָא. דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא בְּחַקְלָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים פ״ה:י״ד) צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ וְיָשֵׂם לְדֶרֶךְ פְּעָמָיו.

What, then, you will say, of a man who goes on a journey and, being absent from his wife, is no longer “male and female”? His remedy is to pray to God before he starts his journey, while he is still “male and female”, in order to draw to himself the presence of his Master. When he has offered his prayer and thanksgiving and the Shekinah rests on him, then he can depart, for through his union with the Shekinah he has become “male and female” in the country as he was “male and female,’ in the town, as it is written: “Righteousness (zedek, the female of zaddik) shall go before him and shall place his footsteps on the way” (Ps. 85, 14).

…and 9 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)