זוהר, חקת י׳Zohar, Chukat 10

Segment 1א׳

(במדבר כ״א:ה׳) וַיְדַבֵּר הָעָם בֵּאלֹהִים וּבְמֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ'. פַּרְשְׁתָּא דָּא, בַּאֲתָר אַחֲרָא אִסְתָּלִיק, עִם אִינּוּן מֵי מְרִיבָה דְּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן.

AND THE PEOPLE SPOKE AGAINST GOD AND AGAINST MOSES, ETC. (Num. 21, 5). This section has been dealt with in another place, together with those waters of strife of Moses and Aaron.

Segment 2ב׳

רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, (אסתר ה׳:א׳) וַיְהִי בַּיוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת וְגוֹ'. מְגִּלַת אֶסְתֵּר בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ נֶאֶמְרָה, וּבְגִין כַּךְ כְּתוּבָה בֵּין הַכְּתוּבִים. וַיְהִי בַּיוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, דְּאִתְחֲלָשׁ חֵילָא דְּגוּפָא, וְהָא קַיְּימָא בְּרוּחָא בְּלָא גּוּפָא, כְּדֵין וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת. מַאי (קפ"ט ע"ב) מַלְכוּת. אִי תֵּימָא בִּלְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר וְאַרְגְּוָונָא, הָא לָאו הָכִי אִקְרֵי. אֶלָּא וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת, דְּאִתְלַבְּשַׁת בְּמַלְכוּת עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא, וַדַּאי לָבְשָׁה רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ. מַאי טַעֲמָא זָכְתָה לְהַאי אֲתָר. בְּגִין דְּנַטְרָא פּוּמָה דְּלָא לְחַוָואָה מִדִי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (אסתר ב׳:כ׳) אֵין אֶסְתֵּר מַגֶּדֶת מוֹלַדְתָּה. וְאוֹלִיפְנָא כָּל מַאן דְּנָטִיר פּוּמֵיהּ וְלִישָׁנֵיהּ, זָכֵי לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּרוּחַ דְּקוּדְשָׁא. וְכָל מַאן דְּסָטֵי פּוּמֵיהּ לְמִלָּה בִּישָׁא, הָא וַדַּאי הַהוּא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא עָלֵיהּ. (ס"א ואי לאו), וְאִי תֵּימָא הָא נְגָעִים, אוֹ צָרַעַת, דְּמוֹקְדָן כְּחִוְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.

R. Isaac discoursed on the verse: “Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on royalty”, etc. (Esth. 5, 1). The Scroll of Esther was uttered in the holy spirit, and for that reason it is written among the Writings. “Now it came to pass on the third day”: when the strength of the body was weakened and she stood in spirit without body, then “Esther put on royalty”. What is “royalty”? Should you say, garments of honour and purple, it is not so called. Rather, “Esther put on royalty” means that she was clothed in the supernal holy malchut (kingship); assuredly she put on the holy spirit. And what was the reason that she was worthy of this place? Because she guarded her mouth and disclosed nothing. This is what is written: “Esther had not made known her kindred” (Esth. 2, 20). And we have learnt that whoever guards his mouth and his tongue is worthy to be clothed in the spirit of holiness, and whoever turns his mouth aside to an evil word, assuredly that evil word is upon him. And should you say, what of the plagues, or the leprosy, that burn upon him like a serpent, this has been explained.

Segment 3ג׳

וַיְדַבֵּר הָעָם בֵּאלֹהִים וּבְמֹשֶׁה. דְּאָמְרוּ מִלָּה בִּישָׁא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּכְתַרְגּוּמוֹ. וְעִם מֹשֶׁה נָצוּ. לָמָּה הֶעֱלִיתוּנוּ, שַׁווּ כָּל אַפַּיָיא שַׁוְּויָן בְּגִין כָּךְ אִזְדְּמַן לְגַבַּיְיהוּ חִוְויָין, דְּמוֹקְדָן לוֹן כְּאֶשָּׁא, וְעַיִּיל אֶשָּׁא לְמֵעַיְיהוּ וְנַפְלִין מֵתִין, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיְשַׁלַח יְיָ בָּעָם אֵת הַנְחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים.

AND THE PEOPLE SPAKE AGAINST GOD AND AGAINST MOSES. That is to say, they spoke against God and wrangled with Moses. WHEREFORE HAVE YE BROUGHT US UP: they put all faces [i.e. God and Moses] on the same level. Therefore there were sent among them serpents that burnt them like fire, and the fire entered their bodies and they fell dead.