זוהר, לך לך כ״חZohar, Lech Lecha 28

Segment 1א׳

עַד דְּהֲווּ אָזְלֵי פָּתַח רַבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר (תהילים ק״ג:כ׳) בָּרְכוּ יְיָ מַלְאָכָיו גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹחַ עוֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ וְגו'. זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךָ הוּא אִתְּרָעֵי בְּהוּ מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין וְעֲבַד לוֹן חוּלְקֵיהּ וְאַחְסַנְתֵּיהּ, וְעַל דָּא יָהִיב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָּא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְהוּ הֲווּ בִּרְעוּתָּא חֲדָא עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי ואַקְדִּימוּ עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה.

While they were going, R. Hiya opened his discourse and said: “Bless the Lord, you His angels, you mighty in strength, who fulfil His word, etc.” (Ps. 103, 20). Happy are Israel above all the other peoples of the world, for the Holy One, blessed be He, delighted in them above all the other peoples and made them His portion and His inheritance; and therefore He gave them the holy Torah, because they were all of one will at Mount Sinai and put doing before hearing.

Segment 2ב׳

כֵּיוָן דְּאַקְדִּימוּ עשיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה קְרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךָ הוּא לְפַּמַּלְיָא דִילֵיהּ אָמַר לוֹן עַד הָכָא אַתּוּן הֲוִיתּוּן יְחִידָאִין קַמָּאי בְּעָלְמָא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה הָא בָּנַי בְּאַרְעָא חֲבֵרִים בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ בְּכלָּא. לֵיתּ לְכוּ רשוּ לְקַדְשָׁא שְׁמִי עַד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְּחַבְּרוּן בַּהֲדַיְיכוּ בְּאַרְעָא, וְכֻלְהוּ תֶּהֱווֹן כְּחֲדָא חֲבֵרִים לְקַדְּשָׁא שְׁמִי, בְּגִין דְּאַקְדִּימוּ עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה כְּגַוְונא דְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי עָבְדֵי בִּרְקִיעָא דִּכְתִּיב בָּרְכוּ יְיָ מַלְאָכָיו גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹחַ עוֹשֵׂי דְּבָרוֹ לִשְׁמוֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ. עוֹשֵׂי דְּבָרוֹ בְּקַדְמִיתָּא וּלְבָתַּר לִשְׁמֹע.

When they put doing before hearing, the Holy One, blessed be He, called to His celestial family and said to them: Until now you were the only ones before Me in the world; from now on, here are My children on earth, companions with you in everything. You have no permission to sanctify My name until Israel are joined with you on earth, and you shall all be as one, companions to sanctify My name — because they put doing before hearing, in the same manner as the supernal angels do in the firmament, as it is written, “Bless the Lord, you His angels, you mighty in strength, who fulfil His word, hearkening to the voice of His word”: “who fulfil His word” first, and afterwards “hearkening”.

Segment 3ג׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר בָּרְכוּ יְיָ מַלְאָכָיו. אִלֵּין אִנּוּן צַּדִּיקַיָא בְּאַרְעָא דְּאִנּוּן חֲשׁוּבִין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךָ הוּא כְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי בִּרְקִיעָא, בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹחַ דְּמִתְּגַּבְּרֵי עַל יִצְּרֵיהוֹן כְּגִבָּר טַב דְּמִתְּגַּבֵּר עַל שַׂנְאֵיהּ. לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ. דְּזָכָאן בְּכָל יוֹמָא לְמִשְׁמַע קָלָא מִלְּעֵילָא בְּשַׁעֲתָּא דְּאִצְּטְרִיכוּ.

Another explanation of “Bless the Lord, you His angels”: these are the righteous on earth, who are accounted before the Holy One, blessed be He, like the supernal angels in the firmament, because they are “mighty in strength”, who prevail over their inclination as a mighty man prevails over his enemy. “Hearkening to the voice of His word”: for they are worthy every day to hear a voice from above at the hour when they have need.