זוהר, נח כ״וZohar, Noach 26

Segment 1א׳

וַיָּבֹא נֹחַ וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּנְשֵׁי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ. רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר (ירמיהו כ״ג:כ״ד) אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לא אֶרְאֶנּוּ נְאֻם יְיָ. כַּמָּה אִנּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אֲטִימִין לִבָּא סְתִימִין עַיְינִין דְּלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין וְלָא יָדְעִין בִּיקָרָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ הֲלֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא. הֵיךְ בָּעוּן בְּנִי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּתְּרָא מֵחוֹבַיְיהוּ וְאָמְרֵי מִי רוֹאֵנוּ וּמִי יוֹדְעֵנוּ. וּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו כ״ט:ט״ו) וְהָיָה בְּמַחְשָׁךְ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם. לְאָן יִתְטַמְרוּן מִקַּמֵּיהּ.

AND NOAH WENT IN AND HIS SONS AND HIS WIFE AND HIS SONS’ WIVES WITH HIM. R. Hiya quoted in this connection the verse: Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord (Jer. 23, 24). ‘How blind and obtuse are the sons of men who regard not and know not the honour of their Master, of whom it is written, “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Ibid.). And yet men imagine that they can hide their sins, saying, “Who seeth us? And who knoweth us?” (Is. 29, 15).

Segment 2ב׳

לְמַלְכָּא דְּבָנָה פַּלְטְרִין וְעֲבַד תְּחוֹת אַרְעָא טְמִירִין פְּצִירִין. לְיוֹמִין מָרָדוּ בְּנֵי פַּלְטְרִין בְּמַלְכָּא אַסְחַר (אצער) עֲלַיְיהוּ מַלְכָּא בְּגַיְיסוֹי. מָה עֲבָדוּ עָאלוּ וּטְמִירוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ תְּחוֹת נוּקְבֵי פְּסִירִין. אָמַר מַלְכָּא אֲנָא עַבְדִית לוֹן וּמִקַּמָּאי אַתּוּן בָּעָאן לְאִתְטַמָּרָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לֹא אֶרְאֶנּוּ נְאֻם יְיָ. אֲנָא הוּא דַּעֲבָדִית נוּקְבֵי פְּסִירִין וְעֲבָדִית חֲשׁוֹכָא וּנְהוֹרָא וְאַתּוּן אֵיךְ יָכְלִין לְאִתְטַמָּרָא קַמָּאי.

Where, indeed, can they hide themselves? There was once a king who built a palace and constructed underneath it secret subterranean chambers. One day the courtiers rose in revolt against the king, who thereupon laid siege to the palace with his army. The rebels sought safety by hiding in the subterranean passages and chambers. Said the king: “It is I who constructed these secret places, and do you think to escape from me by hiding there?” So God says to the wicked, “Can anyone hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” As much as to say, “I have created all chasms and caverns, I have made darkness and light; how, then, can you think to hide yourselves from Me?”

Segment 3ג׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ חָטֵי קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ וְאַמְשִׁיךְ גַּרְמֵיהּ לְאִתְכַּסְיָא. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד בֵּיהּ דִּינָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. וְכַד בַּר נָשׁ אַדְכֵּי גַרְמֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְאַסְתָּרָא לֵיהּ דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי בְּיוֹם אַף יְיָ. דְּוַדַּאי אִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאֵינַשׁ דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי קַמֵּי מְחַבְּלָא כַּד שַׁרְיָא עַל עַלְמָא דְּלָא יִסְתַּכֵּל בֵּיהּ. דְּהָא כָּל אִנּוּן דְּיִתְחַזּוּן קַמֵּיהּ אִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְחַבָּלָא.

Observe this. When a man sins before his Master and uses all devices to conceal himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, chastises him openly. Should, however, the man purify himself of his sins, God will then shield him so that he shall not be visible in the day of the fierce wrath of the Lord. For assuredly a man should take care not to make himself visible to the destroying angel when he swoops down upon the world, and not to attract his notice, since he is authorised to destroy whosoever comes within his view.