זוהר, האדרא זוטא י״זZohar, Idra Zuta 17

Segment 1א׳

הַאי חָכְמְתָא אִקְרֵי עֵדֶן, וְהַאי עֵדֶן אִתְמְשַׁךְ מֵעֵדֶן עִלָּאָה, סְתִימָאָה דְּכָל סְתִימִין. וּמֵהַאי עֵדֶן, אִקְרֵי שֵׁירוּתָא. דִּבְעַתִּיקָא לָא אִקְרֵי, וְלָא הֲוֵי שֵׁירוּתָא וְסִיּוּמָא. וּבְגִין דְּלָא הֲוֵי בֵּיהּ שֵׁירוּתָא וְסִיּוּמָא, לָא אִקְרֵי אַתָּה. בְּגִין דְּאִתְכַּסְיָיא וְלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא. וְאִקְרֵי הוּא. וּמֵאֲתָר דְּשֵׁירוּתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח אִקְרֵי אַתָּה, וְאִקְרֵי אָב. דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ס״ג:ט״ז) כִּי אַתָּה אָבִינוּ.

This chochmah is called Eden, and this Eden is drawn from the supernal Eden, the Hidden of all hidden. And from this Eden it is called beginning; for in the Ancient One it is not called so, and there is no beginning and end. And because there is no beginning and end in it, it is not called “You”, because it is concealed and not revealed; and it is called “He”. And from the place where the beginning is found, it is called “You”, and it is called Father, as it is written, “For You are our Father” (Isa. 63, 16).

Segment 2ב׳

בְּאַגַּדְתָּא דְּבֵי רַב יֵיבָא סָבָא, כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא, זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין אִקְרֵי אַתָּה. עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִתְכַּסְיָיא, אִקְרֵי הוּא. וְשַׁפִּיר. וְהַשְׁתָּא קָרֵינָן בַּאֲתָר דָּא דְּשֵׁירוּתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, אַתָּה. אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְכַּסְיָיא, מִנֵּיהּ הֲוֵי שֵׁירוּתָא, וְאִקְרֵי אָב. וְהוּא אָב לַאֲבָהָן. וְהַאי אָב נָפִיק מֵעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, דִּכְתִּיב (איוב כ״ח:י״ב) וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע.

In the Agadah of the school of Rab Yeba the Elder, the sum of all: the Small of Countenance is called “You”; the Holy Ancient One, who is concealed, is called “He”. And it is well. And now we call this place where the beginning is found “You”. Although it is concealed, from it is the beginning, and it is called Father; and He is the Father of fathers. And this Father goes out from the Holy Ancient One, as it is written, “But wisdom, where (me-ayin) shall it be found?” (Job 28, 12). And therefore it is not known.

Segment 3ג׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב (איוב כ״ח:כ״ג) אֱלֹהִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּהּ, דַּרְכָּהּ מַמָּשׁ. אֲבָל וְהוּא יָדַע אֶת מְקוֹמָהּ, מְקוֹמָהּ מַמָּשׁ. וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן דַּרְכָּהּ. (מקומה ממש. ולא דרכה. מקומה ממש. וכל שכן דרכה.) וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַהוּא חָכְמָה דִּסְתִּימָא בֵּיהּ בְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא.

Observe: it is written, “God understands its way, and He knows its place” (Job 28, 23). “Its way” — truly its way. But “and He knows its place” — its place truly, and all the more so its way. (a variant reads: its place truly, and not its way; its place truly, and all the more so its way.) And all the more so that chochmah which is hidden in Him, in the Holy Ancient One.