זוהר, מקץ י״אZohar, Miketz 11

Section 11 of 15 in Miketz — 27 segments

Segment 1א׳

וְעַל דָּא, וַיִּקַּח מֵאִתָּם אֶת שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּגִין דְּלָא יְקַטְרֵג בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּלֵוִי. בְּגִין דְּשִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי, כַּד מִתְחַבְּרָן תַּרְוַיְיהוּ יָכְלֵי לְקַטְרְגָא: וַיֶּאֱסוֹר אוֹתוֹ לְעֵינֵיהֶם, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, לְעֵינֵיהֶם אֲסָרוֹ. וּלְבָתַר דְנָפְקוּ הֲוָה מַאֲכִיל לֵיהּ, וּמַשְׁקֵי לֵיהּ.

And it was for that reason that we read AND HE TOOK SIMEON FROM AMONG THEM , for Joseph wished to separate him from the influence of Levi, as when the two were together they might find matter of charge against him. AND BOUND HIM BEFORE THEIR EYES. It has already been explained that only before their eyes did he have him bound, but after they departed he regaled him with food and drink.

Segment 2ב׳

וְאִי תֵימָא דִּרְעוּתָא דְיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, (משלי כ״ה:כ״א) אִם רָעֵב שׂוֹנַאֲךָ הַאֲכִילֵהוּ לֶחֶם וְאִם צָמֵא הַשְׁקֵהוּ מַיִם. אִי הָכִי, יוֹסֵף דְּאִיהוּ זַכָּאָה, הֵיכִי עָבִיד הָכִי. דְּהָא כְּתִיב, (משלי כ״ה:כ״ב) כִּי גֶחָלִים אַתָּה חוֹתֶּה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וַיְיָ יְשַׁלֶּם לָךְ.

It must not be supposed that Joseph acted in the spirit of the verse, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink, for thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head” (Prov. 25, 21).

Segment 3ג׳

אֶלָּא, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּיוֹסֵף לְהָכִי הוּא דְּחָיִישׁ. אֶלָּא כְּבַר נָשׁ לְאֲחוֹי, הָכִי נָמֵי הֲוָה עָבִיד. אִתְנְהִיג עִמֵּיהּ בְּאַחְוָה, וְלָא בְּגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא. וְלָא עִמֵּיהּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֶלָּא עִם כָּל אֲחוֹי. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, וַיְצַו יוֹסֵף וַיְמַלְּאוּ אֶת כְּלֵיהֶם בָּר וּלְהָשִׁיב כַּסְפֵּיהֶם אִישׁ אֶל שַׂקּוֹ וְלָתֵת לָהֶם צֵדָה לַדֶּרֶךְ וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם כֵּן, בְּגִין לְאַנְהָגָא עִמְּהוֹן בְּאַחְוָה.

Joseph was too righteous a man for this. Far be it, then, from Joseph to have acted in that spirit. Indeed, he acted as a man to his brother, in true brotherly love without any other motive. And not only towards Simeon, but towards all his brethren he acted so, as it is written: THEN JOSEPH COMMANDED TO FILL THEIR VESSELS WITH CORN, AND TO GIVE THEM PROVISION FOR THE WAY; AND THUS IT WAS DONE UNTO THEM. All this he did in a spirit of brotherhood.’

Segment 4ד׳

רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאֲמַר, (נחום א׳:י״ב) אִם שְׁלֵמִים וְכֵן רַבִּים וְכֵן נָגֹזוּ וְעָבָר וְעִנִּיתִיךָ לא אֲעַנֵּךְ עוֹד, הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ. דְּכַד עַמָּא כֻּלְּהוּ אִית בְּהוּ שְׁלָם, וְלָא אִית בְּהוּ מָארֵי דְבָבוּ. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָיִיס עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְדִינָא לָא שָׁלְטָא בְּהוּ. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ פָּלְחֵי לְכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, וְאִינוּן בִּשְׁלָם, דִּינָא לָא שַׁלִּיט עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. דִּכְתִיב, (הושע ד׳:י״ז) חֲבוּר עֲצַבִּים אֶפְרָיִם הַנַּח לוֹ.

R. Jose commenced a discourse on the verse: If they be peaceful and likewise many, and they will likewise be shorn, then he shall pass away; and though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more (Nahum 1, 12). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been expounded in the following manner. When a people live in peace, and harbour no quarrelsome persons in their midst, God has compassion on them, and rigorous justice is not invoked against them, even though they worship idols. This is in harmony with the verse, “Ephraim is joined in serving idols, let him alone” (Hos. 4, 17)

Segment 5ה׳

וְכֵן נָגֹזוּ וְעָבָר, מַאי וְכֵן נָגֹזוּ, וְנָגֹזוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא, דָּא הוּא רֵישָׁא דִקְרָא דְאִיהוּ שְׁלָם, אוּף הָכָא שְׁלָם. וּמַאי אִיהוּ, דָּא צְדָקָה. בְּגִין דִּצְדָקָה דָא הוּא שָׁלוֹם, וּמַאן דְּאַסְגֵּי בִּצְדָקָה, אַסְגֵּי שְׁלָם לְעֵילָא, וְאַסְגֵּי שְׁלָם לְתַתָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ וְכֵן נָגֹזוּ וְעָבָר, דְּגָזְזֵי מָמוֹנְהוֹן בִּצְדָקָה. וְעָבָר, וְעָבְרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי וְעָבָר. אֶלָּא דָּא הוּא דִינָא דְרוּגְזָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיה כו) עַד יַעֲבָר זָעַם, עָבַר דִּינָא מֵעֲלַיְיהוּ.

In the expression “and they will likewise be shorn”, the word “likewise” continues the thought of the word “peace” above, by adding to it charity, which is peace; for whoever promotes charity promotes peace, both in the upper world and in the lower world. “Those who are shorn” means those who allow themselves to be shorn of their substance, devoting it to charity: Concerning such the verse says: “and he (or it) shall pass away”, not, as we should have expected “they shall pass away”, but “it shall pass away”, namely, the wrathful judgement of heaven. The word “pass” is used in a similar connection in the verse “until indignation be overpast” (Is. 26, 20).

…and 22 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