זוהר, האדרא זוטא ד׳Zohar, Idra Zuta 4

Segment 1א׳

תְּלַת רֵישִׁין אִתְגַלְּפָן, דָּא, לְגוֹ מִן דָּא. וְדָא, לְעֵילָּא מִן דָּא. רֵישָׁא חֲדָא, חָכְמְתָא סְתִימָאָה, דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָיא, וְלָאו מִתְפַּתְּחָא. וְחָכְמְתָא דָּא סְתִימָאָה, רֵישָׁא לְכָל (רישי) רֵישֵׁיהּ, דִּשְׁאַר חָכְמוֹת. (בראשית קמ"ז ע"א) רֵישָׁא עִלָּאָה, עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין. רֵישָׁא דְּכָל רֵישָׁא, רֵישָׁא דְּלָאו רֵישָׁא. וְלֹא יָדַע, וְלָא אִתְיְדַע, מַה דַּהֲוֵי בְּרֵישָׁא דָּא, דְּלָא אִתְדְּבַק (לא) בְּחָכְמְתָא, וְלָא בְּסוּכְלְתָנוּ. וְעַל הַאי אִקְרֵי, (במדבר כ״ד:י״א) בְּרַח לְךָ אֶל מְקוֹמֶךָ. (יחזקאל א׳:י״ד) וְהַחַיּוֹת רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב.

Three heads are engraved, one within the other, and one above the other. One head: the hidden chochmah, which is covered and is not opened. And this hidden chochmah is the head of all (a variant reads: of all heads), its head, of the other wisdoms. (Bereshit, folio 147a) The supernal head, the Holy Ancient One, the Hidden of all hidden: the head of every head, a head that is not a head. And it does not know, and is not known, what is in this head, which is not attained (a variant adds: not) by wisdom nor by understanding. And concerning this it is said, “Flee to your place” (Num. 24, 11); “And the living creatures ran and returned” (Ezek. 1, 14).

Segment 2ב׳

וּבְגִין כַּךְ עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא אִקְרֵי אַיִן. דְּבֵיהּ תַּלְיָיא אַיִן. וְכָל אִינּוּן שַׂעְרֵי, וְכָל אִינּוּן נִימִין, מִמּוֹחָא סְתִימָאָה נָפְקִין. (תליין) וְכֻלְּהוּ שְׁעִיעִין, (ס"א יתבין) בְּשִׁקּוּלָא. וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי קְדָלָא.

And therefore the Holy Ancient One is called Ayin (Nought), for on Him Ayin depends. And all those hairs, and all those strands, go forth (a variant reads: hang) from the concealed brain; and all of them are smooth (a variant reads: sit) in balance, and the neck is not seen.

Segment 3ג׳

כֹּלָּא הוּא, בְּגִין דְּהַאי עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּחַד הֲוֵי. כֹּלָּא בְּחֵידוּ, וְלָא שַׁנְיָא מֵרַחֲמֵי לְעָלְמִין. בִּתְלַת עֲשַׂר מְכִילָן דְּרַחֲמִין אִשְׁתְּכַח. בְּגִין דְּהַאי חָכְמְתָא סְתִימָאָה דְּבֵיהּ, מִתְפְּרַשׁ תְּלַת זִמְנִין לְאַרְבַּע אַרְבַּע. וְהוּא עַתִּיקָא, כָּלִיל לוֹן, וְשָׁלִיט (לון) עַל כֹּלָּא.

All is He, for this Holy Ancient One is in one. All is in joy, and never changes from mercy. In the thirteen attributes of mercy He is found, because this hidden chochmah that is in Him is divided three times into four and four; and He, the Ancient One, comprises them and rules (a variant adds: over them) over all.