זוהר, לך לך ל״הZohar, Lech Lecha 35

Section 35 of 35 in Lech Lecha — 92 segments

Segment 1א׳

אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בְּהוֹן מִכָּל שְׁאָר עַמִין, וְיָהִיב לוֹן אָת קְיָימָא דָא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִית בֵּיהּ הַאי אָת, לָא נָחִית לַגֵּיהִנֹּם אִי אִיהוּ נָטִיר לֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יָאוּת דְּלָא עָיִיל לֵיהּ בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא וְלָא מְשַׁקֵּר בִּשְׁמֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּכָל מַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בְּהַאי, כְּמַאן דִּמְשַׁקֵּר בִּשְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דִּכְתִיב, (הושע ה׳:ז׳) בַּיְיָ בָּגָדוּ כִּי בָּנִים זָרִים יָלָדוּ.

Said R. Abba: ‘Happy are Israel in that God has chosen them from all peoples and has given them this sign of the covenant; for whoever has this sign of the covenant will not descend to Gehinnom if he guards it properly, not subjecting it to another power or playing false with the name of the King; for to betray this sign is to betray the name of God, as it is written, “they have dealt treacherously against the Lord in that they have born strange children” (Hos. 5, 7).’

Segment 2ב׳

תוּ אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אַסִּיק בְּרֵיהּ לְאָעֳלֵיהּ לְהַאי בְּרִית, קְרֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְפַמַּלְיָא דִילֵיהּ וְאָמַר חָמוּ מַאי בְּרִיָּה עֲבָדִית בְּעָלְמָא. בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא אִזְדַּמַּן (ליה) אֵלִיָהוּ וְטָאס (מו ב) עָלְמָא בְּד' טָאסִין וְאִזְדַּמַּן תַּמָּן.

Said R. Abba further: ‘When a man takes up his son to initiate him in this covenant, God calls to the ministering angels and says, “See what a creature I have made in the world.” At that moment Elijah traverses the world in four sweeps and presents himself there;

Segment 3ג׳

וְעַל דָּא תָּנִינָן דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְתַקָּנָא כֻּרְסְיָיא אָחֳרָא לִיקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְיֵימָא (יג א) דָּא כֻּרְסְיָיא דְּאֵלִיָּהוּ, וְאִי לָאו לָא שָׁרֵי תַמָּן. וְהוּא סָלִיק וְאַסְהִיד קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

and for this reason we have been taught that it behoves the father to prepare an extra chair for his honour, and to say “this is the chair of Elijah”; and if he neglects to do so, Elijah does not visit him nor go up and testify before the Almighty that the circumcision has taken place.

Segment 4ד׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב, (מלכים א י״ט:ט׳-י׳) מַה לְּךָ פֹה אֵלִיָּהוּ וְגו'. וּכְתִיב קַנֹּא קִנֵאתִי לַיְיָ (אלהי צבאות) כִּי עָזְבוּ בְּרִיתְךָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגו'. אָמַר לֵיהּ חַיֶּיךָ בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּהַאי רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא יִרְשְׁמוּן לֵיהּ בָּנַי בִּבְשַׂרְהוֹן אַנְתְּ תִּזְדַּמַּן תַּמָּן, וּפוּמָא דְּאַסְהִיד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עָזְבוּ, הוּא יַסְהִיד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מְקַיְימִין הַאי קְיָימָא. וְהָא תָּנִינָן עַל מָה אִתְעַנַּשׁ אֵלִיָּהוּ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל דְּאָמַר דִּלְטוֹרָא עַל בְּנוֹי.

Why has Elijah to testify? For this reason. When God said to him “What dost thou here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19, 9), he answered, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of Hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant.” Said God to him: “As thou livest, wherever my sons imprint this sign upon their flesh, thou shalt be there, and the mouth which charged Israel with forsaking the covenant shall testify that they are observing it.” Our teachers have also taught that the reason why Elijah was punished was because he brought false charges against God’s children.’

Segment 5ה׳

אַדְהָכִי הֲוָה אָתֵי נְהוֹרָא דְיוֹמָא וְהֲווּ אֲמָרֵי מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא. קָמוּ לְמֵיזַל. אָמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא גַבְרָא בַּמֶּה דְּעַסְקִיתוּ בְּהַאי לֵילְיָא אַשְׁלִימוּ. אֲמָרֵי מַאי הוּא. אָמַר לֶהוּ דְּתֶחמוּן לִמְחָר אַנְפּוֹי דְּמָרֵיהּ דְּקַיָימָא, דְּהָא דְּבִיתָאי בָּעָאת בָּעוּתָא דָא מִנַּיְיכוּ. וּגְזַר קְיָימָא דִּבְרֵי דְּאִתְיְילִיד לִי, לְמָחָר לֵיהֱוֵי הִלּוּלָא דִילֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא הַאי בְּעוּתָא דְּמִצְוָה אִיהוּ וּלְמֶחמֵי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא נֵיתִיב.

By this time it was full daylight and they rose to go, but the host came to them and said: ‘Will you not finish the subject on which you were engaged to-night?’ They said to him: ‘What do you mean?’ He said: ‘To-morrow you have a chance of seeing the sponsor of the covenant, for to-morrow is the celebration of the circumcision of my son, and my wife begs you to stay.’ Said R. Abba: ‘We are invited to a pious act, and if we stay, it will be to behold the divine presence.’ They accordingly stayed the whole of that day.

…and 87 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)