The Zohar · Ha'Azinu
זוהר, האזינו א׳Zohar, Ha'Azinu 1
Section 1 of 17 in Ha'Azinu — 5 segments
Segment 1א׳
(דברים לב) הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ אִמְרֵי פִי, רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (שיר השירים ה) פָּתַחְתִּי אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי חָמַק עָבָר וְגוֹ', בִּקַּשְׁתִּיהוּ וְלֹא מְצָאתִיהוּ קְרָאתִיו וְלָא עָנָנִי. מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר וְגוֹ'. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה, מִפִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּזִמְנָא דַּאֲזִילְנָא בְּמַדְבְּרָא. וְלִבִּי עֵר, לְאַעֲלָא לְאַרְעָא, לְמֶעְבַּד לְהוּ (נימוסין) דְּהָא כָּל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּאַרְעָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק, דָּא מֹשֶׁה. דְּאוֹכַח לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַמָּה וִיכּוּחִין, בְּכַמָּה קְטָטִין. דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים א) אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים וְגוֹ', (דברים ט) מַמְרִים הֱיִיתֶם וְגוֹ'. (דברים ט) וּבְחוֹרֵב הִקְצַפְתֶּם וְגוֹ'. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ה) דוֹפֵק.
GIVE EAR, YE HEAVENS, AND I WILL SPEAK, ETC. R. Judah cited here the verse: “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone”, etc. (S.S. 5, 6). ‘And just before this it is written, “I was asleep but my heart waked” (Ibid. 2). Said the Community of Israel: I was asleep to the precepts of the Law when I went in the wilderness, but my heart was awake to enter the land so as to perform them, since they all are meant for the land. “It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh”: this is Moses, who administered many reproofs answer Amen departs from this world, his soul ascends and they proclaim before him: Open the gates before him as he opened gates every day by being careful to answer Amen. But if one hears a blessing from the reader and is not careful to answer Amen, what is his punishment? As he did not open blessings below, so they do not open for him above, and when he leaves this world they proclaim before him: Close the gates in the face of So-and-so that he enter not, and do not receive him woe to him and to his soul!
Segment 2ב׳
וְעִם כָּל דָּא דְּמֹשֶׁה אוֹכַח לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּרְחִימוּתָא הֲווֹ כָּל מִלּוֹי, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ז׳:ו׳) כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ. וּבְךָ בָּחַר יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעָם וְגוֹ' (דברים י״ד:ב׳) בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (דברים ד׳:ד׳) וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ'. וְעַל דָּא (דברים כ״ז:י׳) וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ. (דברים ז׳:ח׳) כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת יְיָ' אֶתְכֶם. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ה׳:ב׳) פִּתְחִי לִי אֲחוֹתִי רַעְיָתִי.
Yet withal he spoke only in love for Israel, as it says, “Ye are a holy people”, etc. (Ibid. 7, 6).
Segment 3ג׳
מַה כְּתִיב. (שם) קַמְתִּי אֲנִי לִפְתּוֹחַ לְדוֹדִי, אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹד דַּהֲוֵינָן זְמִינִין לְמֵיעַל לְאַרְעָא, וּלְקַבְּלָא אִינּוּן פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא עַל יְדוֹי דְּמֹשֶׁה. מַה כְּתִיב, (שם) וְדוֹדִי חָמַק עָבָר. דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ל״ד:ה׳) וַיָּמָת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְיָ'. בִּקַּשְׁתִּיהוּ וְלֹא מְצָאתִיהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה. קְרָאתִיו וְלֹא עָנָנִי, דְּלָא הֲוָה דָּרָא כְּדָרָא דְּמֹשֶׁה, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁמַע לְקַלֵיהוֹן, וְעָבַד לְהוּ נִסִּין וְנִימוּסִין, כְּמָה דְּעָבַד עַל יְדוֹי.
Said the Israelites: When we were about to enter into the land and to receive precepts of the Law, then “my beloved withdrew himself and was gone”, for “Moses the servant of the Lord died there”. “I sought him but I could not find him”, as it is written, “There arose not a prophet like Moses”. “I called him but he gave me no answer”, for there was no generation like that of Moses, one to whose voice God hearkened and for whom He did such wonders and miracles.
Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria
English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)