זוהר, האדרא רבא ל״אZohar, Idra Rabba 31

Segment 1א׳

וְכֹלָּא תַּלְיָיא בְּחוֹטָמָא, בְּגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב, (בראשית ח׳:כ״א) וַיָּרַח יְיָ אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ. דְּכֹלָּא בְּחוֹטָמָא תַּלְיָין, לְאָרְחָא הַאי חוֹטָמָא, בִּתְנָנָא, וְאֶשָּׁא סוּמָקָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְקַבָּל בְּרַעֲוָא. וְהַאי (הוא) דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר י״ב:ט׳) וַיִּחַר אַף יְיָ. (דברים י״א:י״ז) וְחָרָה אַף יְיָ. (שמות כ״ב:כ״ג) וְחָרָה אַפִּי. (דברים ו׳:ט״ו) פֶּן יֶחרֶה אַף יְיָ. כֹּלָּא בִּזְעֵיר אַפִּין אִתְּמַר, וְלָא בְּעַתִּיקָא. תָּאנָא, כְּתִיב (דניאל ט׳:י״ח) הַטֵּה אֱלֹהַי אָזְנְךָ וּשֲׁמַע הַאי (ס"א תאנא בצניעותא דספרא דרגא (ס"א עקימא) עמיקא למשמע טב וביש ודא) אִיהוּ אוּדְנָא דְּאִתְעָבִיד תְּחוֹת שַׂעְרֵי. וְשַׁעְרֵי תַּלְיָין עָלֵיהּ. (ואודנא הוא למשמע) וְאוּדְנָא אִתְעָבִיד בְּרִשׁוּמֵי רְשִׁימִין לְגָאוּ. כְּמָה דְּעֲבִיד (ס"א דכארי) דַּרְגָּא בְּעַקִימָא, (להאי ולהאי) מַאי טַעְמָא בְּעַקִימָא. (ס"א בגין דיתעכב קלא לאעלא למוחא ויבחין במוחא ולא בבהילו) בְּגִין לְמִשְׁמַע טַב וּבִישׁ וְתָאנָא, מֵהַאי עֲקִימָא דִּבְגוֹ אוּדְנִין, תַּלְיָין כָּל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּגַדְפִין, דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ, (קהלת י׳:כ׳) כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגִּיד דָּבָר.

And all hangs on the nose; therefore it is written, “And the Lord smelled the sweet savour” (Gen. 8, 21). For all hangs on the nose: the way of this nose is in smoke and red fire, and therefore it is accepted with favour. And this (a variant reads: it) is what is written, “And the anger of the Lord was kindled” (Num. 12, 9); “and the anger of the Lord be kindled” (Deut. 11, 17); “and My anger shall be kindled” (Ex. 22, 23); “lest the anger of the Lord be kindled” (Deut. 6, 15). All this is said of the Small of Countenance, and not of the Ancient One. It has been taught: it is written, “O my God, incline Your ear, and hear” (Dan. 9, 18). This (a variant adds: It has been taught in the Book of the Hidden Mystery: a deep stair (a variant reads: winding), to hear good and evil; and this) is the ear that is made beneath the hairs, and the hairs hang over it. (a variant adds: And the ear is for hearing.) And the ear is made with markings marked within, as one makes (a variant reads: as one digs) a stair in a winding (a variant adds: to this side and to that). Why in a winding? (a variant reads: So that the voice may be held back from entering the brain, and the brain may discern, and not in haste.) In order to hear good and evil. And it has been taught: from this winding within the ears hang all those winged creatures, of whom it is written, “for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter” (Eccl. 10, 20).

Segment 2ב׳

בְּגוֹ אוּדְנָא, נָטִיף מִג' חַלְלֵי דְּמוֹחָא, לְהַאי נוּקְבָּא דְּאוּדְנִין. וּמֵהַהוּא נְטִיפָא, עָיֵיל קָלָא בְּהַהוּא עֲקִימָא, וְאִתְצְרִיף בְּהַהוּא נְטִיפָא, בֵּין טַב וּבֵין בִּישׁ. טָב, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ס״ט:ל״ד) כִּי שׁוֹמֵעַ אֶל אֶבְיוֹנִים יְיָ. בִּישׁ, דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר י״א:א׳) וַיִּשְׁמַע יְיָ וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ וַתִּבְעַר בָּם אֵשׁ יְיָ.

Within the ear it drips from the three hollows of the brain into this hole of the ears. And from that dripping the voice enters into that winding, and is refined in that dripping, between good and evil. Good, as it is written, “For the Lord hears the needy” (Ps. 69, 34). Evil, as it is written, “and the Lord heard it, and His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them” (Num. 11, 1).

Segment 3ג׳

וְהַאי אוּדְנָא סָתִים לְבַר. וַעֲקִימָא עָיֵיל לְגוֹ, לְהַהוּא נוּקְבָּא דִּנְטִיפָא מִן מוֹחָא, בְּגִין לְמִכְנַשׁ קָלָא לְגָאוּ, דְּלָא יִפּוּק לְבַר, וִיהֵא נָטִיר וְסָתִים מִכָּל סִטְרוֹי. בְּגִין כָּךְ הוּא רָזָא. וַוי לְהַהוּא דִּמְגַלֵי רָזִין, דְּמַאן דִּמְגַלֵי רָזִין כְּאִילּוּ אַכְחִישׁ תִּקּוּנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. דְּאִתְתְּקַן לְמִכְנַשׁ רָזִין, וְלָא יִפְּקוּן לְבַר.

And this ear is closed outward, and the winding enters inward, into that hole that drips from the brain, in order to gather the voice within, so that it should not go outside, and it should be guarded and closed on all its sides. Therefore it is a mystery. Woe to him who reveals mysteries! For whoever reveals mysteries is as though he denied the adornment above, which is set in order to gather in mysteries, so that they should not go outside.