זוהר, האדרא זוטא י״טZohar, Idra Zuta 19

Segment 1א׳

זָקַף רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן יְדוֹי, וְחַדֵי, אָמַר, וַדַּאי עִידָּן הוּא לְגַלָּאָה, וְכֹלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דָּא. תָּאנָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, סְתִימָאָה דְּכָל סְתִימִין, בָּעָא לְאַתְקְנָא כֹּלָּא, אַתְקִין כְּעֵין דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. בַּאֲתָר דְּאִתְכְּלִילוּ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא לָא אִתְקְיָימוּ, אֶלָּא בְּקִיּוּמָא אַחֲרָא (ס"א כעין דכר) (אלא בדכר) דִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. וְהַאי חָכְמָה כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא, כַּד נָפְקָא וְאִתְנְהִיר מֵעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, לָא אִתְנְהִיר אֶלָּא בִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. דְּהַאי חָכְמָה אִתְפְּשַׁט, וְאַפִּיק מִינֵּיהּ בִּינָה, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. הוּא, חָכְמָה אָב. בִּינָה אֵם. חָכְמָה וּבִינָה, בְּחַד מַתְקְלָא אִתְּקָלוּ, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא. וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ כֹּלָּא אִתְקְיָים בִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, דְּאִלְמָלֵא הַאי, לָא מִתְקַיְּימִין.

R. Simeon raised his hands and rejoiced. He said: Assuredly it is the time to reveal, and all is needed at this hour. It has been taught: at the hour when the Holy Ancient One, the Hidden of all hidden, desired to set all in order, He set in order something like male and female. In the place where male and female were comprised they did not endure, save by another existence (a variant reads: like a male) (a variant reads: save by a male) of male and female. And this chochmah, the sum of all, when it went forth and shone from the Holy Ancient One, shone only in male and female; for this chochmah spread out and brought forth binah (understanding) from itself, and male and female were found. It: chochmah is Father, binah is Mother. Chochmah and binah were weighed in one balance, male and female. And for their sake all endures in male and female; for were it not for this, they would not endure.

Segment 2ב׳

שֵׁירוּתָא דָּא אָב לְכֹלָּא, אָב לְכֻלְּהוּ אֲבָהָן, אִתְחַבָּרוּ דָּא בְּדָא, וּנְהִירוּ דָּא בְּדָא. (חכמה אב. בינה אם. (משלי ב׳:ג׳) כי אם לבינה תקרא) כַּד אִתְחַבָּרוּ, אוֹלִידוּ, וְאִתְפַּשְׁטַת מְהֵימְנוּתָא. בְּאַגַּדְתָּא דְּבֵי רַב יֵיבָא סָבָא, הָכִי תָּאנֵי, מַהוּ בִּינָה. אֶלָּא כַּד אִתְחַבָּר דָּא בְּדָא, יוֹ"ד בְּהֵ"א, אִתְעַבְּרַת, וְאַפִּיקַת בֵּן, וְאוֹלִידַת. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, בִּינָה אִקְרֵי, בֵּן יָ"הּ, שְׁלֵימוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא. אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן, וּבֵן בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ. כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא. בְּתִקּוּנַיְיהוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח שְׁלֵימוּתָא (נ"א בן י"ה, תרווייהו דמתחברן, ובן בגווייהו. בתקונייהו אשתכחו שלימותא דכלא כללא) דְּכֹלָּא, אָב וָאֵם. בֵּן וּבַת.

This beginning is Father of all, Father of all the fathers. They were joined one with the other, and shone one in the other (a variant adds: chochmah is Father, binah is Mother: “Yes, if (im) you call for understanding” (Prov. 2, 3)). When they were joined they begot, and faith spread forth. In the Agadah of the school of Rab Yeba the Elder it is taught thus: What is binah? When this one is joined with that — Yod with He — she conceived, and brought forth a son, and gave birth. And therefore binah is called the son of Yod-He, the perfection of all. The two of them are found joined, and the son between them: the sum of all. In their adornments is found the perfection (a variant reads: the son of Yod-He; the two of them that are joined, and the son between them; in their adornments is found the perfection of all, the sum) of all: Father and Mother, son and daughter.

Segment 3ג׳

מִלִּין אִלֵּין, לָא אִתְיְיהִבוּ לְגַלָּאָה, בַּר לְקַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין, דְּעָאלוּ וְנַפְקוּ, וְיַדְעִין אָרְחוֹי דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא סָטָאן בְּהוּ לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא. דִּכְתִּיב, (הושע י״ד:י׳) כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְיָ' וְצַדִּיקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם וְגוֹ'. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ, דְּמַאן דְּזָכֵי לְמִנְדַּע אוֹרְחוֹי, וְלָא סָטֵי, וְלָא יִטְעֵי בְּהוּ. דְּמִלִּין אִלֵּין סְתִימִין אִינּוּן וְקַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין נְהִירִין בְּהוּ, כְּמַאן דְּנָהִיר מִנְּהִירוּ דְּבוּצִינָא. לָא אִתְמְסָרוּ מִלִּין אִלֵּין, אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּעָאל וְנָפִיק. דְּמַאן דְּלָא עָאל וְנָפַק, טַב לֵיהּ דְּלָא אִבְרֵי. דְּהָא גַּלְיָא קַמֵּי עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין, דְּמִלִּין אִלֵּין נְהִרִין בְּלִבָּאי, בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתָא דִּרְחִימוּתָא וּדְחִילוּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְאִלֵּין בְּנַי דְּהָכָא, יְדַעְנָא בְּהוּ דְּהָא עָאלוּ וְנַפְקוּ, וְאִתְנְהִירָן בְּאִלֵּין מִלִּין, וְלָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ. וְהַשְׁתָּא אִתְנְהִירוּ בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי עִמְּהוֹן, בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא.

These words were not given to be revealed save to the supernal holy ones, who have entered and come out and know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and do not turn aside in them to the right or to the left, as it is written, “For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just walk in them,” etc. (Hos. 14, 10). Happy is the portion of him who is worthy to know His ways, and does not turn aside and does not err in them. For these words are hidden, and the supernal holy ones shine in them as one who shines from the light of a lamp. These words are handed over only to one who has entered and come out; for he who has not entered and come out, it were better for him that he had not been created. For it is revealed before the Holy Ancient One, the Hidden of all hidden, that these words shine in my heart in the perfection of love and of the fear of the Holy One, blessed be He. And these my sons who are here, I know of them that they have entered and come out, and have been illumined by these words, but not by all of them; and now they have been illumined in fullness, as was needed. Happy is my portion with them in that world!