זוהר, הקדמה י״בZohar, Introduction 12

Section 12 of 34 in Introduction — 46 segments

Segment 1א׳

רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה אָזִיל לְמֶחמֵי לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקוֹנְיָא חֲמוֹי וְרִבִּי אַבָּא בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְהֲוָה טָעִין חַד גַּבְרָא אֲבַּתְרַיְיהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא נִפְתַּח פִּתְחִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּהָא שַׁעֲתָא וְעִדָּנָא הוּא לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא בְאָרְחָן.

R. Eleazar was journeying to visit his father-in-law, R. Jose, son of R. Simeon son of Lakunya. He was accompanied by R. Abba, and another man was leading their baggage-ass behind them. Said R. Abba, ‘Let us open a discourse on the Torah, the time and place being propitious.’

Segment 2ב׳

פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר (ויקרא י״ט:ל׳) אֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשִׁית יוֹמִין בְּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא. וְכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא גָלֵי עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ וְיָהַב חֵילֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא. אֵימָתַי גָּלֵי עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ וְיָהַב חֵילֵיהּ. בְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה. בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן תְּלַת יוֹמִין קַדְמָאִין כּוּלְהוּ הֲווּ סְתִימִין וְלָא אִתְגָּלוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּאֲתָא יוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה אַפִּיק עֲבִידְתָּא וְחֵילָא דְּכוּלְהוּ.

R. Eleazar then began thus: ‘It is written: Ye shall keep my Sabbaths (Lev. 19, 30). Consider this: the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world in six days and each day revealed a part of His work, and functioned through the energy imparted to it. But none of the work was actually disclosed nor the energy functioning until the fourth day. The first three days were undisclosed and imperceptible, but when the fourth day came the product and energy of all of them was brought out into the open.

Segment 3ג׳

דְּהָא אֶשָׁא וּמַיָא וְרוּחָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִנּוּן תְּלַת יְסוֹדִין עִלָּאִין, כֻּלְהוּ תַּלְיָין, וְלָא אִתְגְּלִי עֲבִידְתָּא דִלְהוֹן, עַד דְּאַרְעָא גָּלֵי לוֹן, כְּדֵין אִתְיְדַע אוּמְנוּתָא דְּכָל חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ.

Fire, water, and air, as three primordial elements, were still in suspense, their activity not having become visible until the earth disclosed them and so made knowable the workmanship of each one of them.

Segment 4ד׳

וְאִי תֵימָא הָא בְּיוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה הֲוָה דִּכְתִיב תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא וּכְתִיב וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ (דשא). אֶלָּא הַאי אַף עַל גַּב דִּכְתִיב בְּיוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה, רְבִיעָאָה הֲוָה וְאִתְכְּלִיל בְּיוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה לְמֶהֱוֵי חַד בְּלָא פִּירוּדָא. וּלְבָתַר יוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה אִתְגְּלִי עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ לְאַפָּקָא אוֹמָנָא לְאוּמָנוּתֵיהּ דְּכָל חַד וְחַד. בְּגִין דְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה אִיהוּ רַגְלָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּכֻּרְסְיָיא עִלָּאָה.

You may object that in the account of the third day it is written, “Let the earth put forth grass”, as well as “And the earth put forth”. The answer is that, though ascribed to the third day, this actually took place on the fourth day, and it was included in the account of the third day merely to indicate the unbroken continuity of the creation. From the fourth day onwards He disclosed His work and produced an artificer for the function of each one (for the fourth day is the symbol of the fourth leg of the celestial Throne).

Segment 5ה׳

וְכָל עֲבִידְתַּיְיהוּ דְּכֻלְהוּ בֵּין יוֹמִין קַדְמָאִין וּבֵין יוֹמִין בַּתְרָאִין הֲווּ תַּלְיָין בְּיוֹמָא דְשַׁבָּתָּא הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ב׳:ב׳) וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, דָּא שַׁבָּת, וְדָא הוּא רַגְלָא רְבִיעָאָה דְּכֻּרְסְיָיא.

Furthermore, the activities of all the days, whether of the first or the second triad, were made dependent on the day of the Sabbath, as it is written, “And on the seventh day God finished.” This is the Sabbath, and this is the fourth foot of the celestial Throne.

…and 41 more segments in this section.

Become a premium member

Or start free — a free account opens your first 5 gematria searches in full. Create free account

The daily learning is free on your account, every day.

Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)