זוהר, מצורע ט״זZohar, Metzora 16

Segment 1א׳

תוספתא (נ"ח מ"ה) רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי חָמוּי, הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי מֵאוּשָׁא לְלוּד. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אֶפְשָׁר שַׁמַעְת מֵאָבוּךְ מַאי דִּכְתִּיב, וְיַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ וְגוֹ'. אָמַר לֵיהּ לָא יְדַעְנָא. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי מָטוּ לִמְעַרְתָּא דְּלוּד. שָׁמְעוּ הַהוּא קָלָא דְּאָמַר, תְּרֵי עוּזְלִין דְּאַיַלְתָּא עָבְדוּ קָמַאי רְעוּתָא דְּנִיחָא לִי. וְאִינּוּן הֲווֹ מַשִׁרְיָּיתָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּעָרַע יַעֲקֹב קַמֵּיהּ. אִתְרְגִישׁ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְאִסְתָעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹי, וְאָמַר, מָרֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא כַּךְ אוֹרְחוֹי, טַב לָן דְּלָא נִשְׁמַע, שְׁמַעְנָא וְלָא יְדַעְנָא.

R. Hiya said: ‘One day I was on my way to visit R. Simeon to learn from him the portion of the Passover. In a certain mountain which I passed I saw some clefts in a rock and two men sitting in one. As I went along I caught the sound of their voices saying: “A song, a psalm of the sons of Korah.” Why both song and psalm? We have learnt in the name of R. Simeon that this is a double song, and therefore superior to other songs. So, too, with the expressions, “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day” (Ps. 92, 1), or “Song of songs” (S.S. 1, 1): the doubling is a sign of pre-eminence. This is the song of the Holy One, blessed be He, which was sung by the sons of Korah, those who sat at the doorway of Gehinnom.

Segment 2ב׳

אִתְרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָא, וְשָׁמַע הַהוּא קָלָא דְּאָמַר, אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְּחָק הֲווֹ, נָפַל עַל אַנְפּוֹי וְחָמָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דַּאֲבוֹי, אָמַר לֵיהּ, אַבָּא, שָׁאִילְנָא וַאֲתִיבוּנָא, דְּאַבְרָהָם וְיִצְּחָק הֲווֹ, דְּעָרְעוּ לְיַעֲקֹב כַּד אִשְׁתְּזִיב מִלָּבָן. אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי, פּוּק (ס"א פסקך) פִּתְקָךְ, וְסָב סְבָתֵךְ, פּוּם מְמַלֵּל רַבְרְבָן הֲוָה. וְלָא דָּא הִיא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֶלָּא לְכָל צַּדִּיקַיָּא נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּצַּדִּיקַיָּא מְעַרְעִין קֳדָמוֹהִי לְשֵׁיזָבוּתֵיהּ, וְאִינּוּן מַלְאֲכֵיא קַדִישֵׁי עִלָּאֵי.

A miracle happened to him, and he heard that voice which said: ‘It was Abraham and Isaac.’ He fell upon his face and saw the image of his father. He said to him: ‘Father, I asked, and they answered me that it was Abraham and Isaac who met Jacob when he was delivered from Laban.’ He said to him: ‘My son, bring out your tablet and take your reckoning: it was a mouth speaking great things.’ And this is not the only case; rather, for all the righteous, the souls of the righteous meet them to deliver them, and those are the holy supernal angels.

Segment 3ג׳

וְתָּא חֲזֵי, יִצְּחָק קַיָּים הֲוָה בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, אֲבָל נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא אִתְנְסִיבַת בְּכוּרְסְיָא יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, כַּד אִתְעֲקָד עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא. וּמִכְּדֵּין אַסְתְּמוּ עֵינוֹי מֵחֵיזוּ. הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ל״א:מ״ב) לוּלֵא וְגוֹ' וּפַחַד יִצְּחָק הָיָה לִי. (ע"כ תוספתא)

And observe: Isaac was alive at that hour, but his holy soul had been taken into the throne of glory of his Master when he was bound upon the altar. And from then on his eyes were dimmed from sight. This is what is written: “Except,” etc., “and the Fear of Isaac had been with me” (Gen. 31, 42). (End of Tosefta)