זוהר, נשא ט״זZohar, Nasso 16

Segment 1א׳

אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, תָּאנָא בִּצְנִיעוּתָא דְּסִפְרָא, שְׁמָא קַדִישָׁא אִתְגַּלְיָיא וְאִתְכַּסְיָיא. דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, כְּתִיב בְּיוֹ"ד הֵ"א וָא"ו הֵ"א. דְּאִתְכַּסְיָיא כְּתִיב בְּאַתְוָון אַחֲרָן, וּמְהַהוּא דְּאִתְכַּסְיָיא הַהוּא טְמִירָא (ס"א אחרנין וההוא דאתכסייא הוא טמירו) דְּכֹלָּא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וַאֲפִילּוּ הַהוּא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, אִתְכַּסְיָא בְּאַתְוָון אַחֲרָן, בְּגִין הַהוּא טְמִירָא דִּטְמִירִין בְּגוֹ.

R. Simeon cited the following from the Book of Mystery. ‘The Divine Name has both a revealed and an undisclosed form. In its revealed form it is written TETRAGRAMMATON, but in its undisclosed form it is written in other letters, this undisclosed form representing the most Recondite of all.’ R. Judah said: ‘Even the revealed form of the Name is hidden under other letters, in order to screen more effectively the most Recondite of all.

Segment 2ב׳

דְּהָא הָכָא בָּעֵי כַּהֲנָא לְצָרְפָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְמֵיחַת רַחֲמֵי, (כלהו) דְּכֻלְּהוּ כְּלִילָן בְּדִיבּוּר דְכ"ב אַתְוָון (ס"א דכלהו מכילן) (ס"א בתרי כתרי) כִּתְרֵי דְּרַחֲמֵי. וּבְהָנֵי אַתְוָון דְּהַאי שְׁמָא, סְתִימָאן כ"ב מְכִילָן דְּרַחֲמֵי, וי"ג דַעֲתִּיקָא סָתִים וְגָנִיז מִכֹּלָּא, וְט' דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין מִזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין (בזעיר אנפין) וּמִתְחַבְּרָן כֻּלְּהוּ בְּצֵרוּפָא דִּשְׁמָא חַד, דְּהֲוָה מְכַוִּון כַּהֲנָא כַּד פְּרֵיס יְדוֹי בְּכ"ב אַתְוָון גְּלִיפָן.

For it behoves the priest to concentrate on the various permutations of the Divine Name, and to call down the mercies of all the Attributes through the two Crowns of mercy. In these letters of this Name are concealed twenty-two attributes of Mercy, viz. thirteen of the Ancient One, Most Recondite of all, and nine of the Mikroprosopus (Lesser Figure); but they all combine in one composite Name, on which the priest concentrated his mind when he spread forth his hands, a name containing twenty-two engraven letters.

Segment 3ג׳

וְתָאנָא, כַּד הֲוָה צְנִיעוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא, הֲוָה מִתְגַּלְיָיא שְׁמָא דָּא לְכֹלָּא. מִדְּאַסְגֵי חֲצִיפוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא, סָתִים בְּאַתְווֹי. דְּכַד הֲוָה מִתְגַּלְיָיא. כַּהֲנָא מְכַוִּין, וּשְׁמָא מִתְפְּרַשׁ. בְּמַאי מְכַוִּין. מְכַוִּין בִּסְתִּימָא דְּטָמִיר וְגָנִיז, וּמִתְגַּלְיָיא וּמִתְפְּרַשׁ. מִדְּאַסְגֵי חֲצִיפוּתָא בְּעָלְמָא, סָתִים כֹּלָּא בְּאַתְוָון רְשִׁימִין.

We have learnt that when reverence was prevalent among mankind, the ineffable Name was openly enunciated in the hearing of all, but after irreverence became widespread it was concealed under other letters. Therefore at the time when the Name was disclosed, the priest would concentrate his mind on its deep and inner meaning, and he would utter the Name in such a way as to accord with that meaning. But when irreverence became common in the world he would conceal all within the written letters.