זוהר, נח י״גZohar, Noach 13

Section 13 of 44 in Noach — 10 segments

Segment 1א׳

פָּתַח רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר (ישעיהו י׳:ל׳) צַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךְ בַּת גַּלִּים הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה עֲנִיָּה עֲנָתוֹת. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָא. אֲבָל הַאי קְרָא עַל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּמָר. צַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךְ בַּת גַּלִּים, בְּרַתֵּיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ הָכִי אוּקְמוּהָ בַּת גַּלִּים כְּדִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ד׳:י״ב) גַּל נָעוּל. גַּלִּים אִנּוּן נְהוֹרִין דְּמִתְכַּנְשֵׁי וְאָזְלֵי וְעָאלִין לְגַוָּוהּ וּמַלְיָין לָהּ כְּדִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ד׳:י״ג) שְׁלָחַיִךְ פַּרְדֵּס רִמּוֹנִים.

R. Jose discoursed on the text: Cry thou with a shrill voice, oh daughter of Gallim! Hearken, oh Laish! Oh thou poor Anathoth! (Is. 10, 30). He said: ‘Our companions have already interpreted this verse in their own way, but in truth it refers to the Community of Israel, called “the daughter of springs” (Gallim), on the analogy of the expression, “A spring (gal) shut up” (S. S. 4, 12). The term “spring” has special reference to those streams that converge and flow into the Garden, as it is written, “Thy shoots are a garden (pardes) of pomegranates” (Ibid. 13).

Segment 2ב׳

הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (איוב ד׳:י״א) לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף. לַיִשׁ דְּכַר. לַיְשָׁה נוּקְבָא. אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי לַיִשׁ, אִי מִשּׁוּם (משלי ל׳:ל׳) דִּכְתִיב לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה, אוֹ מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טָרֶף. אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ לַיִשׁ גְּבוּרָה תַּתָּאָה וּדְאָתֵי מִגְּבוּרָה עִלָּאָה. לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טָרֶף, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִנּוּן נְחָלִין מִסְתַּלְקִין וְלָא עָאלִין לְגַוָּוהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְקְרֵי לַיְשָׁה דְּאֲבִידַת מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף. דִּכְתִיב לַיִשׁ אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי טֶרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרְדוּ.

The term laisha is akin to the term laish in “the lion (laish) perisheth for lack of prey” (Job 4, 11). Why is the Community of Israel called “lion “? It might be in allusion to “the lion which is mighty among beasts” (Prov. 30, 30), or again to “the lion perisheth for lack of prey”. But indeed, the two aspects are combined in it. At one time it is laish (he lion), filled with the lower-world energy emanating from the higher-world energy; and then again it is reduced to the state of “a lion perishing for lack of prey”, when the rivers dry up and do not come to replenish her, at which time she is rather called laisha (lioness).

Segment 3ג׳

וּמַה דְּאָמַר לַיְשָׁה הַיְינוּ עֲנִיָּה עֲנָתוֹת מִסְּכֵּנָא דְּמִסְכֵּנוּתָא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ירמיהו א׳:א׳) מִן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת וּכְתִיב, (מלכים א ב׳:כ״ו) עֲנָתֹת לֵךְ עַל שָׂדֶיךָ. מַאי אִירְיָא. אֶלָּא כָּל זִמְנָא דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה קַיָּים, אִסְתַּלַּק אֶבְיָתָר בְּעוּתְרָא וּבְכֹלָּא. לְבָתַר אָמַר לֵיהּ שְׁלֹמֹה עֲנָתוֹת לֵךְ עַל שָׂדֶיךָ.

The name laisha is further explained by the words which immediately follow, aniah anathoth, which properly mean ‘poorest of the poor”. The word anathoth is found with a similar meaning in the passage “of the priests that were in Anathoth” (Jer. 1, 1). Another example of the word used in this sense is in the verse “Anathoth, get thee unto thine own fields” (I Kings 2, 26). The meaning of this verse is as follows. So long as King David was alive, Abiathar was wealthy and prosperous; but after David died, Solomon ordered him to get to his own fields, calling him “Anathoth”.

Segment 4ד׳

אַמַּאי קָרֵי לֵיהּ שְׁלֹמֹה הָכִי. אֶלָּא אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּיוֹמָךְ הֲוָה אַבָּא בְּמִסְכֵּנוּ וְהַשְׁתָּא לֵךְ עַל שָׂדֶיךָ. הַשְׁתָּא אִית לוֹמַר אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי אֶבְיָתָר עֲנָתוֹת. אִי תֵימָא דְּהֲוָה מִן עֲנָתוֹת, הָא תָּנִינָן דִּכְתִיב, (שמואל א כ״ב:כ׳) וַיִּמָּלֵט בֵּן אֶחָד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב וּשְׁמוֹ אֶבְיָתָר. וְהוּא מִנּוֹב הֲוָה, דְּהָא נוֹב עִיר הַכֹּהֲנִים הֲוָה. וְאַף עַל פִּי דְּאָמְרוּ דְּהִיא נוֹב הִיא עֲנָתוֹת וְאַמַּאי לָהּ אִקְרֵי עֲנָתוֹת בְּגִין דְּנָחֲתַת לְמִסְכֵּנוּ וְאִתְאֲבִיד קַרְתָּא עַל יְדָא דְשָׁאוּל וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ כָּהֲנִי. אֶלָּא עֲנָתוֹת כְּפַר הֲוָה, וְלָאו הוּא נוֹב, וְעַל דָּא קָרֵי לֵיהּ אֶבְיָתָר עֲנָתוֹת, בְּגִין דְּאָמַר (מלכים א ב׳:כ״ו) וְכִי הִתְעַנִּיתָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַנָּה אָבִי. וּמִקַּרְתָּא דְנוֹב הֲוָה, וְעַל מִסְכְּנוּ דְּדָוִד דְּהֲוָה בְּיוֹמוֹי אִקְרֵי לֵיהּ הָכִי.

Why did he give him this name? It cannot be because this was the name of the town he came from, since it is written, “and one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped” (I Sam. 22, 20), which proves that he belonged to Nob, the city of the priests. Some, indeed, are of opinion that Anathoth and Nob are two names of the same place, the name “Anathoth” having been given to it on account of the poverty and destitution to which it had been reduced by Saul through the slaughter of all its priestly inhabitants. This, however, is incorrect, as Anathoth was distinct from Nob. The real reason why Solomon called Abiathar “Anathoth” is to be found in the words “and because thou wast afflicted (hithanitha) in all wherein my father was afflicted” (I Kings 2, 26); thus the name “Anathoth” alludes to the poverty and affliction which he underwent in the time of David.’

Segment 5ה׳

אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בְּמִסְכְּנוּתָא הֲוָה עָלְמָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּעֲבַר אָדָם עַל פִּקּוּדֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַד דְּאָתָא נֹחַ וְקָרִיב קָרְבָּן וְאִתְיְישַׁב עָלְמָא. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי לָא אִתְיְישַׁב עָלְמָא וְלָא נַפְקָא אַרְעָא מִזּוּהֲמָא דְּנָחָשׁ עַד דְּקָיְימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי וְאִתְאֲחִידוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי כְּדֵין אִתְיְישַׁב עָלְמָא.

R. Hiya said: ‘The world was in a state of poverty and misery from the time Adam transgressed the command of the Almighty until Noah came and offered up a sacrifice, when its prosperity returned.’ R. Jose said: ‘The world was not properly settled, nor was the earth purged from the defilement of the serpent, until Israel stood before Mount Sinai, where they laid fast hold of the Tree of Life, and so established the world firmly.

…and 5 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)