זוהר, לך לך כ״וZohar, Lech Lecha 26

Section 26 of 35 in Lech Lecha — 26 segments

Segment 1א׳

הָיָה דְּבַר יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה לֵאמֹר, מַאי בַּמַּחֲזֶה, אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא חֵיזוּ דַּרְגָּא דְכָל דִּיוּקְנִין אִתְחַזְּיָין בֵּיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן תָּא חֲזֵי, עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם הֲוָה חַד דַּרְגָּא מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ, וּמַאן אִיהוּ דָּא מַחֲזֶה דִּכְתִיב, (במדבר כ״ד:ד׳) מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחזֶה.

THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ABRAM IN A VISION SAYING. Vision is the grade in which all figures are beheld. R. Simeon said: ‘Up to the time when Abram was circumcised, only one grade spoke with him; namely Vision, which is also mentioned in the verse “who seeth the vision of Shaddai” (Num. 24, 4).

Segment 2ב׳

כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר הֲווּ כֻּלְהוּ דַּרְגִּין שָׁרָאן עַל הַאי דַרְגָּא, וּכְדֵין מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות ו׳:ג׳) וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי וְעַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר לָא הֲווּ אִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין שָׁרָאן עֲלוֹי לְמַלָּלָא.

After his circumcision, all grades combined with this grade, and in this way God spoke with him. It may be objected that according to our interpretation the verses “and the Lord appeared to Abram”, “and Abram journeyed to the South”, “and he built there an altar”, indicate that he had attained to these higher grades;

Segment 3ג׳

וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם וּכְתִיב וַיִּסַע אַבְרָם הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה וּכְתִיב וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ הָא הָכָא אִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין. וְהַשְׁתָּא אֲמָרָן דְּעַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר לָא הֲווּ אִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין שָׁרָאן עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא לְמַלָּלָא עִמֵּיהּ.

how, then, can you say that before he was circumcised these grades did not combine with this one to speak with him?

Segment 4ד׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא יַהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָכְמָה לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִנְדַע חָכְמָה לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ וְיָדַע רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, אֲבָל לְמַלָּלָא עִמֵּיהּ לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא הַאי דַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר, כֻּלְהוּ דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין הֲווּ שָׁרָאן עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה בְּגִין לְמַלָּלָא עִמֵּיהּ, וּכְדֵין אִסְתַּלַּק אַבְרָהָם בְּכֹלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.

The answer is that previously God gave wisdom to Abraham to cleave to Him and to know the true meaning of faith, but only this lower grade actually spoke with him; but when he was circumcised, all the higher grades joined this lower grade to speak with him, and thus Abraham reached the summit of perfection.

Segment 5ה׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר בַּר נָשׁ לָא אִתְאַחִיד בִּשְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר עָאל בִּשְׁמֵיהּ וְאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ. וְאִי תֵימָא אַבְרָהָם דְּאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר. הָכִי הֲוָה דְּאִתְאַחִיד בֵּיהּ וְלָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, דְּהָא מִגּוֹ רְחִימוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרִיב לֵיהּ.

See now, before a man is circumcised he is not attached to the name of God, but when he is circumcised he enters into the name and is attached to it. Abram, it is true, was attached to the name before he was circumcised, but not in the proper manner, but only through God’s extreme love for him;

…and 21 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: 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