זוהר, האדרא זוטא ל״דZohar, Idra Zuta 34

Section 34 of 43 in Idra Zuta — 10 segments

Segment 1א׳

תְּרֵי אוּדְנִין, לְמִשְׁמַע טַב וּבִישׁ. וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ סַלְּקִין לְחַד. דִּכְתִיב, (מלכים ב י״ט:ט״ז) הַטֵּה יְיָ' אָזְנְךָ וּשֲׁמָע. אוּדְנָא לְגוֹ בְּגוֹ דִּילֵיהּ, תַּלְיָיא בִּרְשִׁימִין עַקִימִין, בְּגִין דְּיִתְעַכָּב קָלָא לְאַעֲלָא בְּמוֹחָא, וְיַבְחִין בֵּיהּ מוֹחָא, וְלָא בִּבְהִילוּ, דְּכָל מִלָּה דַּהֲוֵי בִּבְהִילוּ, לָא הֲוָה בְּחָכְמְתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא.

Two ears, to hear good and evil. And both of them rise to one, as it is written, “Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear” (II Kings 19, 16). The ear, within its inside, hangs in crooked markings, so that the voice may be held back from entering the brain, and the brain may discern it, and not in haste; for every matter that is in haste is not in perfect wisdom.

Segment 2ב׳

מֵאוּדְנִין אִלֵּין תַּלְיָין כָּל מָארֵיהוֹן דְּגַדְפִין, דְּנַטְלִין קָלָא מֵעָלְמָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ הָכִי אִקְרוּן אָזְנֵי יְיָ', דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ, (קהלת י׳:כ׳) כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וְגוֹ'. כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל, הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, הַשְׁתָּא מַאי קוֹל אִיכָּא הָכָא, דְּהָא רֵישָׁא דִּקְרָא כְּתִיב גַּם בְּמַדָּעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ אַל תְּקַלֵּל, בְּמַדָּעֲךָ כְּתִיב, וּבְחַדְרֵי מִשְׁכָּבְךָ וְגוֹ'. מַאי טַעֲמָא כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל, וְהָא לֵיכָּא הָכָא קָלָא.

From these ears hang all the winged creatures, who take up the voice from the world; and all of them are likewise called the ears of the Lord, of whom it is written, “for a bird of the air shall carry the voice,” etc. (Eccl. 10, 20). “For a bird of the air shall carry the voice” — this verse is difficult. Now what voice is there here? For the beginning of the verse is written, “Curse not the king, no, not in your thought” — “in your thought” is written — “and in your bedchamber,” etc. What is the reason, “for a bird of the air shall carry the voice”, when there is no voice here?

Segment 3ג׳

אֶלָּא וַדַּאי כָּל מַה דְּחָשִׁיב בַּר נָשׁ, וְכָל מַה דְּיִסְתְּכַּל בְּלִבּוֹי, לָא עָבִיד מִלָּה, עַד דְּאַפִּיק לֵיהּ בְּשִׂפְוָותֵיהּ, וְהוּא (ואף על גב דאיהו) לָא אִתְכְּוָּון בֵּיהּ. וְהַהִיא מִלָּה דְּאַפִּיק, מִתְבְּקַעָא בַּאֲוִירָא, וְאַזְלָא וְסַלְּקָא וְטָסָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִתְעָבִיד מִנֵּיהּ קָלָא. וְהַהוּא קָלָא נַטְלִין לֵיהּ מָארֵי דְּגַדְפִין, וְסַלְּקִין לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא, וְעָיִּיל בְּאוּדְנוֹי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ה׳:כ״ה) וְיִּשְׁמַע יְיָ' אֶת קוֹל דִּבְרֵיכֶם. (במדבר י״א:א׳) וְיִּשְׁמַע יְיָ' וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ.

But certainly, all that a man thinks, and all that he contemplates in his heart, effects nothing until he brings it forth with his lips, and he (a variant reads: even though he) pays no heed to it. And that word which he brings forth cleaves the air, and goes and rises and flies about in the world, and a voice is made of it. And that voice the winged creatures take up, and they bring it up to the King, and it enters His ears. This is what is written, “And the Lord heard the voice of your words” (Deut. 5, 25); “and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled” (Num. 11, 1).

Segment 4ד׳

וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כָּל צְלוֹתָא וּבָעוּתָא דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בָּעֵי לְאַפָּקָא מִלִּין בְּשִׂפְוָותֵיהּ, דְּאִי לָא אַפִּיק לוֹן, לָאו צְלוֹתֵיהּ צְלוֹתָא, וְלָאו בָּעוּתֵיהּ בָּעוּתָא. וְכֵיוָן דְּמִלִּין נָפְקִין, מִתְבַּקְּעִין בַּאֲוִירָא, סַלְּקִין וְטָסִין וְאִתְעָבִידוּ קָלָא, וְנָטִיל לוֹן מַאן דְּנָטִיל, וְאָחִיד לוֹן לְאַתְרָא (נ"א לכתרא) קַדִישָׁא, בְּרֵישָׁא דְּמַלְכָּא.

And therefore every prayer and petition that a man asks before the Holy One, blessed be He, he must bring forth the words with his lips; for if he does not bring them forth, his prayer is no prayer and his petition is no petition. And once the words go forth they cleave the air, rise and fly, and become a voice; and he who takes them takes them, and fastens them to the holy place (a variant reads: to the holy crown), in the head of the King.

Segment 5ה׳

מִתְּלַת חַלָלֵי דְּמוֹחֵי, נָטִיף נְטִיפָא לְאוּדְנִין, וְהַהוּא אִקְרֵי נַחַל כְּרִית. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (מלכים א יז) נַחַל כְּרִית, כְּלוֹמַר, כְּרוּתָא דְּאוּדְנִין. וְקָלָא עַיִּיל בְּהַהוּא עֲקִימָא, וְאִשְׁתְּאַב בְּהַהוּא נַהֲרָא, דְּהַהוּא נְטִיפָא. וּכְדֵין אִתְעַכָּב תַּמָּן, וְאִתְבְּחִין בֵּין טַב לְבִישׁ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ל״ד:ג׳) כִּי אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן. וּמַאי טַעְמָא אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן. מִשּׁוּם דְּאִתְעַכָּב קָלָא בְּהַהוּא נַהֲרָא דִּנְטִיפָא, בַּעֲקִימוּתָא דְּאוּדְנִין, וְלָא עַיִּיל בִּבְהִילוּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְבְּחִין בֵּין טַב לְבִישׁ, (שם) וְחֵיךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכוֹל. מַאי טַעְמָא חֵיךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכוֹל. בְּגִין דְּיִתְעַכָּב תַּמָּן, וְלָא עַיִּיל בִּבְהִילוּ בְּגוּפָא, וְעַל דָּא יִטְעַם וְיִתְבְּחָן, בֵּין מְתִיקָא לִמְרִירוּ.

From the three hollows of the brains a drop drips to the ears, and that is called the brook Cherith, as you say, “the brook Cherith” (I Kings 17) — that is to say, the cutting of the ears. And the voice enters that winding and is absorbed in that stream of that drop; and then it is held back there, and is tested between good and evil. This is what is written, “For the ear tries words” (Job 34, 3). And what is the reason “the ear tries words”? Because the voice is held back in that stream of the drop, in the winding of the ears, and does not enter in haste; and therefore it is tested between good and evil. “As the palate tastes food” (Ibid.). What is the reason “the palate tastes food”? Because it is held back there and does not enter the body in haste; and by this it tastes and tests between sweet and bitter.

…and 5 more segments in this section.

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Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

English: rendered from the Aramaic for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a commentary; the Zohar is learned with a teacher