The Zohar · Noach
זוהר, נח כ״אZohar, Noach 21
Section 21 of 44 in Noach — 7 segments
Segment 1א׳
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְהֲווּ עָסְקֵי בְּהַאי קְרָא דִּכְתִיב, (מלכים א י״ח:ל׳) וַיְרַפֵּא אֶת מִזְבַּח ה' הֶהָרוּס. מַאי וַיְרַפֵּא. תָּא חֲזֵי, בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ, יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלְהוּ שָׁבְקוּ לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְשָׁבְקוּ בְּרִית קַיָּימָא דִלְהוֹן. כַּד אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְחָמָא דְקָא שָׁבְקוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַאי בְּרִית קַיָּימָא וְאַעֲבָרוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ הַאי בְּרִית.
R. Judah studied regularly with R. Simeon. On one occasion they discussed the verse: And he repaired (lit. healed) the altar of the Lord that was thrown down (I Kings 18, 30). ‘What’, they asked, ‘is meant by the term vayrappe (and he healed)?’ ‘The answer is this. In the days of Elijah, all Israel forsook the Holy One, blessed be He, and neglected the holy covenant. When Elijah became aware that the children of Israel had entirely neglected the covenant,
Segment 2ב׳
כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא אֵלִיָּהוּ כָךְ אֲתָא לְאַתְקָנָא מִלָּה לְדוּכְתֵּיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּקָרִיב מִלָּה לְדוּכְתֵּיהּ אִתְּסֵי כֹּלָּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיְרַפֵּא אֶת מִזְבַּח יְיָ הֶהָרוּס. דָּא בְּרִית קַיָּימָא (ד"א ל"ג דאתא לאתקנא מזבח יי ההרוס ברית קיימא) דְּהֲוָה שָׁבִיק מֵעָלְמָא. וּכְתִיב, (מלכים א י״ח:ל״א) וַיִּקַּח אֵלִיָּהוּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֲבָנִים לְמִסְפַּר שִׁבְטֵי בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב. דָּא הוּא תִּקּוּנָא דְּמִזְבַּח יְיָ.
he set himself to rectify the evil and to restore the covenant to its former vogue. Hence the expression, “And he healed the altar of the Lord that was thrown down”, to wit, the established covenant that was utterly neglected. It is further written: “And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob” (this being the appropriate means of repairing the altar of the Lord),
Segment 3ג׳
אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְּבַר יְיָ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ. מַאי טַעְמָא אִדְכַּר הָכָא יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא וַדַּאי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ וַדַּאי לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא לְעֵילָא וְלְאֲתָבָא בְּרִית קַיָּימָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ. וְהַיְנוּ דִּכְתִיב כִּי עָזְבוּ בְּרִיתְךָ בְּנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתֶיךָ הָרָסוּ.
“unto whom the word of the Lord came saying, Israel shall be thy name” (Ibid. 31), implying that Israel was to be the name by which he could ascend on high and restore the covenant in its place. It is for this reason that Elijah said expressly, “for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant” (Ibid. 19, 10), and, as a consequence, “thrown down thine altars” (Ibid.).
Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria
English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)