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The Zohar · Beshalach

זוהר, בשלח ח׳Zohar, Beshalach 8

Section 8 of 34 in Beshalach — 8 segments

Segment 1א׳

(שמות י״ד:ט״ו) וַיֹּאמֶר (קע"ח ע"ב) יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי. מִלָּה דָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּסִפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא, וְתַמָּן הוּא רָזָא דִּילֵיהּ, וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה. ר' יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (יונה ב׳:ב׳) וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יוֹנָה אֶל יְיָ' אֱלֹהָיו מִמְּעֵי הַדָּגָה, מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא, וַיְמַן יְיָ' דָּג גָּדוֹל. וַיְמַן: כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (דניאל א׳:ה׳) וַיְמַן לָהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ. אֲשֶׁר מִנָּהּ אֶת מַאֲכַלְכֶם.

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, WHEREFORE CRIEST THOU UNTO ME ? The significance of this question has been dealt with in the Book of Concealed Mystery, and the esoteric interpretation thereof belongs there. R. Judah connected this verse with the story of Jonah. ‘We read there’, he said, ‘that “the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah” (Jonah 3, 1). Now the word minah (prepared) means strictly “to allot as a portion”, as, for instance, when it says, “the king allotted them a daily provision” (Dan. 1, 5);

Segment 2ב׳

אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, וַיְמַן יְיָ' אֶת יוֹנָה לַדָּג, דְּהוּא מָנָה הוּא דִּמְשַׁדֵּר לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, הַהוּא דָּג הוּא הֲוָה מָנָה לְיוֹנָה, לְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ מִן שְׁאַר נוּנִי יַמָּא, וְיֶהוֵי גָּנִיז בְּגַוֵּיהּ. וְכֵיוָן דְּאַעֲלֵיהּ בְּגַוֵּיהּ, חָמָא יוֹנָה בְּמֵעוֹי, פּוּתְיָא דַּאֲתָר יַמָּא (נ"א פותיא דאתר דמעוי) כְּמוֹ הֵיכְלָא רַבְרְבָא, וּתְרֵין עֵינוֹי דְּהַהוּא נוּנָא, דְּנָהֲרִין כְּשִׁמְשָׁא, וְאֶבֶן טָבָא הֲוָה בְּמֵעוֹי, דְּנָהִיר לֵיהּ, וַהֲוָה חָמֵי כָּל מַה דִּי בְּיַמָּא וּבִתְהוֹמוֹי.

therefore in this case it would seem more appropriate to have said “and the Lord apportioned Jonah to the fish” than that the fish was prepared for Jonah. However, the fact is that the fish was a great boon to Jonah; for, once inside it, he was guarded from all the other fishes. Further, he beheld wondrous things there. He saw in the fish’s belly an open space like unto the halls of a palace, and the two eyes of the fish shining like the sun at noon. Inside was a precious stone which illumined all around, and made visible to him all the wonders of the deep.

Segment 3ג׳

וְאִי תֵּימָא, אִי הָכִי, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (יונה ב׳:ג׳) קָרָאתִי מִצָּרָה לִי, הָא לָא אִתְחָזֵי, דְּכָל הַאי רְוָוחָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, כֵּיוָן דְּאַחְמֵי לֵיהּ הַהוּא נוּנָא, כָּל מַה דִּי בְּיַמָּא וּבִתְהוֹמוֹי, מִית, דְּלָא יָכִיל תְּלַת יוֹמִין לְמִסְבַּל. כְּדֵין עָקַת לֵיהּ לְיוֹנָה.

If this was so, it may be asked, why does it say that he “called out of his affliction” (Ibid. 2, 2), seeing that he was so well situated?

…and 3 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