זוהר, הקדמה כ״הZohar, Introduction 25

Segment 1א׳

פִּקּוּדָא חֲמִישָׁאָה כְּתִיב, (בראשית מ"ו ע"ב) יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָה. בְּהַאי קְרָא אִית תְּלַת פִּקּוּדִין. חַד לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְחַד לְאִתְעֲסָקָא בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה. וְחַד לְמִגְזַר לִתְמַנְיָיא יוֹמִין וּלְאַעֲבָרָא מִתַּמָּן עָרְלָתָא. לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּלְאִשְׁתַּדָּלָא בָהּ וּלְאַפָּשָׁא לָהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא לְתַקְּנָא נַפְשֵׁיהּ וְרוּחֵיהּ.

The fifth precept. It is written: And God said, Let the waters swarm with the movement of living creatures. This verse contains three precepts-to labour in the study of the Torah, to beget children, and to circumcise a male child on the eighth day by removing the foreskin. It behoves a man to labour in the study of the Torah, to strive to make progress in it daily, so as thereby to fortify his soul and his spirit:

Segment 2ב׳

דְּכֵיוָן דְּבַר נָשׁ אִתְעַסַּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא (נח ס"ב ע"א) אִתְתַּקַּן (ש"כ ע"א) בְּנִשְׁמָתָא אָחֳרָא קַדִּישָׁא. דִּכְתִיב שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. נֶפֶשׁ דְּהַהִיא חַיָּה קַדִּישָׁא. דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ לָא אִתְעַסַּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לֵית לֵיהּ נַפְשָׁא קַדִּישָׁא. קְדוּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָא לָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי. וְכַד אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּהַהוּא רְחִישׁוּ דְּרָחִישׁ בָּהּ זָכֵי לְהַהִיא נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, וּלְמֶהֱדַר כְּמַלְאָכִין קַדִּישִׁין.

for when a man occupies himself in the study of the Torah, he becomes endowed with an additional and holy soul, as it is written: “the movement of living creatures”, that is, a soul (nefesh) derived from the holy centre called “living” (hayah). Not so is it with the man who does not occupy himself with the study of the Torah: such a man has no holy soul, and the heavenly holiness does not rest upon him. But when a man earnestly studies the Torah, then the motion of his lips wins for him that “living soul” and he becomes as one of the holy angels,

Segment 3ג׳

דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ק״ג:כ׳) בָּרְכוּ יְיָ מַלְאָכָיו, אִלֵּין אִנּוּן דְּמִתְעַסְּקִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִקְרוּן מַלְאָכָיו בְּאַרְעָא. וְדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל הָאָרֶץ. הַאי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא תָּנִינָן דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן גַּדְפִין כְּנִשְׁרִין וּלְאַשָּׁטָא בְּכָל עָלְמָא דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו מ׳:ל״א) וְקּוֵֹי יְיָ יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבָר כַּנְּשָׁרִים.

as it is written: “Bless the Lord, ye angels of his” (Ps. 103, 20), to wit, those who occupy themselves in the study of the Torah, and who are therefore called His angels on earth. The same are alluded to in the words: “and let birds fly on the earth”. So much for his reward in this world. As regards the other world, we have been taught that the Holy One, blessed be He, will provide them with wings as of eagles, enabling them to fly across the whole universe, as it is written: “But they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, then shall mount up with wings as eagles” (Is. 44, 31).