זוהר, כי תצא י׳Zohar, Ki Teitzei 10

Segment 1א׳

פִּקּוּדָא בָּתַר דָּא, לָדוּן בְּדִינֵי חֲגָבִים, דְּאִתְּמַר דָּגִים וַחֲגָבִים אֵינָן טְעוּנִין שְׁחִיטָה, אֶלָּא אֲסִיפָתָם הִיא הַמַתֶּרֶת אוֹתָם. הָכִי מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, אֵינָן צְרִיכִין שְׁחִיטָה, אֶלָּא דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיִּגְוַע וַיֵּאָסֶף עַל עַמָּיו. מַה נוּנֵי יַמָּא, חִיוּתָן בְּיַמָּא, אוּף תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, חִיּוּתַיְיהוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִי אִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִנָהּ מִיָּד מֵתִים. תַּנִּינָא (נ"א תנאין) דְּמַתְנִיתִין, דְּבָהּ אִתְרָבּוּ תַנִינֵי יַמָּא. וְאִי אִינּוּן דִּבְיַבֶּשְׁתָּא יַעֲלוּן (נ"א יפלון) לְמַיָּא, וְלָא יַדְעִין לְשַׁטְטָא, אִינּוּן מַיְיתִין. אֲבָל אָדָם דְּאִינּוּן מָארֵי קַבָּלָה, אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא מִכֻּלְּהוּ, בְּהוּ אִתְּמַר (בראשית א׳:כ״ו) וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, דְּאִינּוּן מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, תַּנִּינָיָּא. הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל, (ישעיהו כ״ז:א׳) נָחָשׁ בָּרִיחַ, לָקֳבֵל (שמות כ״ו:כ״ח) וְהַבְּרִיחַ הַתִּיכוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּרָשִׁים.

The precept after this one is to judge by the laws of locusts, of which it is said: fish and locusts require no slaughtering, but their gathering is what renders them permitted. So too the Masters of the Mishnah require no slaughtering, but of them it is said, “and he expired and was gathered to his people.” As the fishes of the sea have their life in the sea, so too the disciples of the wise, the Masters of the Mishnah, have their life in the Torah; and if they are parted from it they die at once. The sea-monster (a variant reads: the Tannaim) of the Mishnah — for in her the sea-monsters of the sea were reared. And if those of the dry land go up (a variant reads: fall) into the water and do not know how to swim, they die. But Adam — those who are masters of Kabbalah — they are above them all; of them it is said, “and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air” (Gen. 1, 26), those being the Masters of the Mishnah, the sea-monsters. “The great sea-monster,” “the bar serpent” (Isa. 27, 1), corresponding to “and the middle bar in the midst of the boards” (Ex. 26, 28).

Segment 2ב׳

בְּזִמְנָא דְּתַנִּינָן (דתנינין) מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה, אִית בְּהוֹן מַחֲלוֹקֶת, וּמַקְשִׁין דָּא לְדָא, בָּלַע לְחַבְרֵיהּ. וְהַאי אִיהוּ תַּלְמִיד זְעֵיר, שֶׁלֹּא הִגִיעַ לְהוֹרָאָה, וּמוֹרֶה, חַיָּיב מִיתָה. וְאִי אִינּוּן שָׁוִין דָּא לְדָא, וְאִית בְּהוֹן מַחֲלוֹקֶת וְקוּשְׁיָא, אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן לְסוֹף, (במדבר כ״א:י״ד) וְאֶת וָהֵב בְּסוּפָה, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ אַהֲבָה בְּסוֹפָהּ.

At the time when the Masters of the Mishnah repeat their teaching (a variant reads: when they teach), and there is a dispute among them, and they raise objections one against the other, one swallows up his fellow. And this is the young disciple who has not reached the fitness to rule, and yet rules: he is liable to death. But if they are equal to one another, and there is dispute and difficulty among them, of them it is said at the last, “and Vaheb in Suphah” (Num. 21, 14) — and they have explained: love at its end.