זוהר, לך לך י׳Zohar, Lech Lecha 10

Section 10 of 35 in Lech Lecha — 29 segments

Segment 1א׳

בְּסִפְרָא דְּרַבִּי יֵיסָא סָבָא כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ וּכְתִיב הָתָם (שמות ל״ג:י״ט) אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כָּל טוּבִי. וְהוּא רֶמֶז לִקְדוּשָׁה דְאַרְעָא דְּאָתֵי מֵאֲתַר עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.

In the book of the venerable R. Yesa we find: It is written here “And Abram passed through the land”, and in another place it says “I will make all my goodness pass before thee” (Ex. 33, 19), this being an allusion to the holiness of the land which emanates from a heavenly source.

Segment 2ב׳

עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה. מִסִּטְרָא דָא (ד"א ל"ג דלתתא). לְסִטְרָא דָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי. וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי אָז בָּאָרֶץ. הָא אִתְּמָר דְּעַד כְּדֵין שָׁלְטָא חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא דְּאִתְלַטְיָא וְאַיְיתֵי לְוָוטִין עַל עָלְמָא דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ט׳:כ״ה) אָרוּר כְּנַעַן עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים יִהְיֶה לְאֶחָיו וּכְתִיב, (בראשית נ) אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וְגו'. וְתַמָּן אִתְקְרִיב אַבְרָהָם לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. מַה כְּתִיב וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם הָכָא אִתְגְּלִי לֵיהּ מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה יָדַע הַהוּא חֵילָא עֲמִיקָא לְשָׁלְטָא עַל אַרְעָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיֵּרָא מַה דְּהֲוָה מִתְכַּסֵּי מִנֵּיהּ.

UNTO THE PLACE OF SHECHEM, UNTO THE OAK OF MORETH, i.e. from one sphere to the other, as befitted. AND THE CANAANITE WAS THEN IN THE LAND. This confirms what has previously been said, that up to that time the wicked serpent that was cursed and brought curses on the world held sway over the land, as it is written, “Cursed is Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren” (Gen. 9, 25), and of the serpent, “Cursed art thou above all cattle” (Gen. 3, 14). It was in that land that Abram drew near to God. For it is written here AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO ABRAM: here was revealed to him what he could not previously find out, the hidden force that ruled over the (holy) land,

Segment 3ג׳

וּכְדֵין וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיְיָ הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר לַיְיָ מַהוּ הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו. אֶלָּא הָכָא אִתְגְּלִי לֵיהּ הַהוּא דַרְגָא דְּשָׁלְטָא עַל אַרְעָא וְעָאל בֵּיהּ וְאִתְקְיַּים בֵּיהּ:

and so HE BUILT THERE AN ALTAR TO THE LORD WHO APPEARED TO HIM. The words “who appeared to him”, which seem to be superfluous, indicate that here was revealed to him that grade which rules over the land, and that he entered into it and was confirmed in it.

Segment 4ד׳

וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה. מִתַּמָּן יָדַע הַר יְיָ. וְכֻלְהוּ דַּרְגִּין דִּנְטִיעִין בְּהַאי אֲתַר. וַיֵּט אָהֳלה בְּהֵ"א כְּתִיב. פָּרִישׂ פְּרִישׂוּ וְקַבִּיל מַלְכוּ שְׁמַיָא בְּכֻלְהוּ דַּרְגִּין דְּאֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ. וּכְדֵין יָדַע דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא. וּכְדֵין בָּנָה מִזְבֵּחַ.

AND HE REMOVED FROM THENCE UNTO THE MOUNTAIN: The word ha-harah (to the mountain) can be rendered “to the mountain of he״, implying that he now became acquainted with this and with all the grades planted there. AND PITCHED HIS TENT: here, again, the letter he in the word aholoh (his tent) indicates that he purified himself and acknowledged the kingship of heaven in all the grades attached to it. He acquired the certainty that God rules over all, and so he built an altar.

Segment 5ה׳

וּתְרֵין מַדְבְּחָן הֲווּ, בְּגִין דְּהָכָא אִתְגְּלִי לֵיהּ דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁלִּיט עַל כֹּלָּא וְיָדַע חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה יָדַע מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא. וּבָנָה תְּרִין מַדְּבְּחָן חַד לְדַרְגָּא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא וְחַד לְדַרְגָּא דְּאִתְכַּסְיָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָכִי הֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיְיָ הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו וְגו'. וּלְבָתַר כְּתִיב וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיְיָ סְתָם וְלָא כְּתִיב הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו. וְכֹלָּא רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ.

There were, in fact, two altars, because here it was revealed to him that God is ruler over all, and he became acquainted with the higher wisdom, which he had not known previously. He therefore built two altars, one for the grade (of the Godhead) which was already known to him, and one for the grade which was still concealed. This can be seen from the text: it first says “And he built there an altar to the Lord who appeared to him”, and afterwards it says “and he built an altar to the Lord”, simply-with an allusion to the higher wisdom.

…and 24 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)

English: rendered from the Aramaic for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a commentary; the Zohar is learned with a teacher