זוהר, משפטים כ״חZohar, Mishpatim 28

Segment 1א׳

אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הַאי דְּאָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, דִּכְתִּיב לא תְּבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ, בַּחֲלֵב הָאֵם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי אִמּוֹ. וְאִי תֵּימָא, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִמּוֹ דְּסִטְרָא דִּמְסָאֳבָא, לָאו הָכִי, דְּהָא שְׁמַעְנָא דְּאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִימָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּחוּלָקֵיהּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְאַחֲדָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים לב) כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ' עַמּוֹ.

Said R. Judah: ‘In regard to R. Abba’s interpretation of the words: “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk” (v. supra), ought not this passage according to him to have read, “in the mother’s” rather than “in his mother’s”? For if the “kid” represents the spirit of impurity and the “mother” the Shekinah, dare one thus assert that the Community of Israel (the Shekinah) is the “mother” of the spirit of impurity-the Community of Israel, concerning whom R. Simeon has said that the Holy Mother is the very essence of Israel, part and parcel of her being, as it is written: “For the Lord’s portion is his people” (Deut. 32, 9)?’

Segment 2ב׳

אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַרְתְּ. וְהָא דְּרַבִּי אַבָּא שַׁפִּיר וְכֹלָּא דָּא בְּדָא תַּלְיָא. תָּא חֲזִי, אִמָא אִתְאַחֲדָא לְהוּ לְעֵילָּא, לְסִטְרָא דָּא וּלְסִטְרָא דָּא, וּתְרֵין אִינּוּן, חֲדָא לִימִינָא, וַחֲדָא לִשְׂמָאלָא. וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ, מִנְּהוֹן לִימִינָא, וּמִנְּהוֹן לִשְׂמָאלָא. וְכֻלְּהוּ תַּלְיָין בְּהַאי אֵ"ם, אִמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְאַחֲדָן בָּהּ.

R. Simeon replied: ‘Your question is good, and yet R. Abba’s remark is correct. See now. Two powers hold fast to the Shekinah, imbibing strength from Her strength, and clinging one to Her right hand and one to Her left. Therefore some incline towards the right and some towards the left, and all depend upon this holy “Mother”.

Segment 3ג׳

אֵימָתַי אִתְאַחֲדָן בָּהּ. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַאי אֵם יָנְקָא מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וּמִקְדְּשָׁא אִסְתְּאָב, וְחִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא שַׁארִי לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה, כְּדֵין גַּדְיָא יַנְקָא מֵחָלָבָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ, וְדִינִין מִתְעָרִין. וְעַל דָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל קַדְּמִין וְאֵייתָאן בִּכּוּרִים, וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַיְיתִין לְהוּ, בַּעְיָין לְמֵימַר וּלְמִפְתַּח בֵּיהּ בְּלָבָן, דְּבָעָא בְּחַרְשׁוֹי אִלֵּין, לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּיַעֲקֹב, וּבְזַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיבוּ בִּידֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְמַסְּרָן יִשְׂרָאֵל לְסִטְרָא דָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ וְגוֹ', לא תְּבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ. וְלָא יָנְקָא הַהוּא סִטְרָא, מֵחָלָבָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ, דְּהָא לָא יִסְתְּאָב מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְדִינִין לָא מִתְעָרִין.

But the things of the Left are attached to this Mother only when she herself imbibes from the “other side”, and the sanctuary is defiled and the mighty serpent begins to manifest himself. Then “the kid sucks of his mother’s milk”, and judgement is aroused. For this reason the Israelites hastened to bring the firstfruits, and when the priest had taken the basket of fruit from the hands of an Israelite and set it down before the altar, the latter would begin to recite the story of how Laban (“the Syrian”, cf. Deut. 26, 5) came with his witchcraft to subject Jacob and his holy descendants, but did not succeed, and Israel was not delivered to the “other side” It is concerning this that it is written: “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord Thy God. Thou shalt not seethe the kid in his mother’s milk”, so that the “kid”, namely the “other side”, should not suck the milk of his “mother”, and the sanctuary be not defiled, and the severe judgements be not roused.