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The Zohar · Introduction

זוהר, הקדמה כ״דZohar, Introduction 24

Section 24 of 34 in Introduction — 7 segments

Segment 1א׳

פִּקּוּדָא רְבִיעָאָה לְמִנְדַע דְה' הוּא הָאֱלהִים, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ד׳:ל״ט) וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ כִּי יְיָ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. וּלְאִתְכְּלָלָא שְׁמָא דֶּאֱלֹהִים בִּשְׁמָא דְּיְיָ. לְמִנְדַע דְּאִנּוּן חַד וְלֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא.

The fourth precept is to acknowledge that the Lord is God, as we read: “Know this day, and lay it to thy heart that the Lord, he is God” (Deut. 4, 39); namely, to combine the name Elohim (God) with the name Tetragrammaton (Lord) in the consciousness that they form an indivisible unity.

Segment 2ב׳

וְהַיְנוּ רָזָא דִכְתִיב יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ. לְמֶהוֵי תְּרֵין שְׁמָהָן חַד בְּלָא פִּרוּדָא כְּלָל. לְאִתְכְּלָלָא מְאֹרֹת חָסֵר בִּשְׁמָא דְּשָׁמַיִם (נ"א דרשים) דְּאִנּוּן חַד וְלֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא. נְהוֹרָא אוּכְמָא בִּנְהוֹרָא חִיוְורָא לֵית בְּהוּ פִּרוּדָא וְכֹלָא חַד. וְדָא הוּא עֲנָנָא חִיוְורָא דִימָמָא וְעֲנָנָא דְאֶשְׁתָּא בְּלֵילְיָא. (כמה דאמרו חברייא) מִדַּת יוֹם וּמִדַת לַיְלָה. וּלְאִתְתַּקַּן דָּא בְּדָא לְאַנְהָרָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ.

And this is the inner meaning of the text: Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. The omission of the vau from the word emoroth (lights) points to complete unity, to the black light and the white light being only two manifestations of one indivisible light. The same is symbolised by the “white cloud by day” and the “cloud of fire by night” (Exod. 13, 21); the two phases of day and night are complementary to each other, both forming one whole, in order-as we read- “to give light upon earth”.

Segment 3ג׳

וְדָא חוֹבָה דְהַהוּא נָחָשׁ קַדְמָאָה חִבַּר לְתַתָּא וְאִתְפְּרַשׁ לְעֵילָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ גָּרַם מַה דְּגָרַם לְעָלְמָא. בְּגִין דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַפְרָשָׁא לְתַתָּא וּלְחַבְּרָא לְעֵילָא. וּנְהוֹרָא אוּכְמָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְעֵילָא בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא. וּלְאִתְאַחֲדָא לְבָתַר בְּאֻכְלוּסָהָא בְּיִחוּדָהָא וּלְאַפְרָשָׁא לָהּ מִסִּטְרָא בִּישָׁא.

Herein consisted the sin of the primeval serpent who united below but divided above, and so caused the mischief we still lament. The right way, on the contrary, is to recognise diversity below but unity above, so that the black light becomes wholly merged above and afterwards unified in respect of its diverse elements, and so is kept away from the evil power.

…and 2 more segments in this section.

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Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

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

English: Sefaria Community Translation (CC0)