זוהר, קדושים י״זZohar, Kedoshim 17

Segment 1א׳

רעיא מהימנא (ויקרא י״ט:י״ז) לֹא תִשְׂנָא אֶת אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ וְגוֹ'. פִּקּוּדָא דָּא, לְאוֹכָחָא לְהַהוּא דְּחָטֵי, לְמֵחֱזִי לֵיהּ רְחִימוּ סַגְיַא, דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעֲנָשׁ אִיהוּ. דְּהָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּתִיב, (משלי ג׳:י״ב) כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶאֱהַב יְיָ' יוֹכִיחַ. וּכְמָּה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד וְאוֹכַח לְמַאן דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ, הָכִי יוֹלִיף בַּר נָשׁ מֵהַהוּא אָרְחָא, וְיוֹכַח לְחַבְרֵיהּ. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמַאי אוֹכַח לְבַּר נָשׁ. אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בִּרְחִימוּ בְּסִתְרָא, אִי יְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ יָאוּת. וְאִי לָא, אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בֵּין רְחִימוֹי. אִי יְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָא, אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא. אִי יְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו, שָׁרִי לֵיהּ, וְלָא אוֹכַח לֵיהּ, וְשָׁבִיק לֵיהּ יֵיזִיל וְיַעְבִיד רְעוּתֵיהּ.

Ra'aya Meheimna. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your neighbour,” and so forth (Lev. 19, 17). This precept is to rebuke the one who sins, to show him great love, that he loves him, so that he himself may not be punished. For of the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, “For whom the Lord loves He rebukes” (Prov. 3, 12). And just as the Holy One, blessed be He, does and rebukes the one He loves, so let a man learn from that way, and rebuke his companion. With what does the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuke a man? He rebukes him in love, in secret. If he accepts it, well. And if not, He rebukes him among those who love him. If he accepts, well. And if not, He rebukes him openly, before the eyes of all. If he accepts, well. And if not, He leaves him, and does not rebuke him, and lets him go and do his will.

Segment 2ב׳

בְּקַדְמִיתָא אוֹדַע לֵיהּ בְּסִתְרָא, בְּגִין לְאוֹכָחָא לֵיהּ, וּלְאִתְעֲרָא לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִנְּדַע בֵּיהּ בַּר נָשׁ. וְדָא אִיהוּ בֵּינֵיהּ לְבֵינֵיהּ. אִי מְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו, אוֹדַע לֵיהּ בֵּין רְחִימוֹי, בְּזִמְנָא דְּכַהֲנָא רַבָּא הֲוָה בְּעָלְמָא, יָהִיב לֵיהּ מַרְעִין בְּעַרְסֵיהּ, וְאָתוּ רְחִימוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאוֹדְעָן לֵיהּ, אִי אִית בֵּיהּ חוֹבָא דְּיֵיתוּב מִנֵּיהּ, וּלְעָיֵין בְּמִלֵיהּ. אִי מְקַבֵּל יָאוּת, וְאִי לָאו אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, בְּמָמוֹנֵיהּ, בִּבְנוֹי, דְּכֹלָּא מְלַחֲשָׁן עָלֵיהּ, וְיִיתוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ. אִי מְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו שָׁארֵי לֵיהּ מָארֵיהּ לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ, וְלָא יַתְקִיף בֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אִצְּטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְאוֹכָחָא לְחַבְרֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּסִתְרָא. לְבָתַר בֵּין רְחִימוֹי. לְבָתַר בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה יִשְׁבּוֹק לֵיהּ וְיַעְבִּיד רְעוּתֵיהּ.

At first He makes it known to him in secret, in order to rebuke him and to rouse him, so that no man shall know of it; and this is between him and Him. If he accepts, well. And if not, He makes it known to him among those who love him. In the time when the High Priest was in the world, He would give him sicknesses upon his bed, and those who love the Holy One, blessed be He, would come and make it known to him, whether there was a sin in him from which he should repent, and would look into his affairs. If he accepts, well; and if not, He rebukes him openly, in his money and in his sons, for all whisper about him, and they come to him. If he accepts, well. And if not, his Master leaves him to do his will, and will never press him. In this way a man must rebuke his companion: first in secret; afterwards among those who love him; afterwards openly. From then onwards let him leave him, and let him do his will.

Segment 3ג׳

וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ. הוֹכֵחַ: בְּסִתְרָא, דְּלָא יִנְּדַע בֵּיהּ בַּר נָשׁ. תּוֹכִיחַ: בֵּין חַבְרוֹי וּרְחִימוֹי. אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ: בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב בְּקַדְמִיתָא תּוֹכִיחַ, אֶלָּא הוֹכֵחַ. תּוּ הוֹכֵחַ, אִי אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּיִכְסוּף, לָא יִימָּא לֵיהּ וְלָא יוֹכִיחַ לֵיהּ אֲפִילּוּ בְּסִתְרָא, אֶלָּא יִימָּא קַמֵּיהּ, כְּמָאן דְּמִשְׁתָּעֵי בְּמִלִּין אָחֳרָנִין. וּבְגוֹ אִינּוּן מִלִּין, יִדְכַּר מַאן דְּעָבַד הַהוּא חוֹבָא הוּא כַּךְ וְכַךְ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ יְדַע בְּגַרְמֵיהּ, וְיִשְׁתְּבִיק מֵהַהוּא חוֹבָא. וְעַל דָּא הוֹכֵחַ. וְאִם לָאו, תּוֹכִיחַ. וּלְבָתַר אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא.

And therefore it is written, “you shall surely rebuke.” “Rebuke”: in secret, so that no man shall know of it. “You shall rebuke”: among his friends and those who love him. “Your neighbour”: openly. And therefore “you shall rebuke” is not written first, but “rebuke.” Again, “rebuke”: if he is a man who would be put to shame, let him not speak to him and not rebuke him, even in secret, but let him speak in his presence like one who is talking of other matters; and within those words let him mention that whoever committed that sin is thus and thus, for he knows it of himself, and will leave that sin. And therefore, “rebuke.” And if not, “you shall rebuke.” And afterwards, “your neighbour,” openly. From then onwards, “and you shall not bear sin because of him.”