זוהר, נח ל״דZohar, Noach 34

Segment 1א׳

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְנֹחַ וְגו'. זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נוֹתֵן בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וְגו'. אֶת קַשְׁתִּי נָתַתִּי בֶּעָנָן. נָתַתִּי מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח (יחזקאל א׳:כ״ו) וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא. מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת קוֹל כַּנְפֵיהֶם כְּקוֹל מַיִם רַבִּים כְּקוֹל שַׁדַּי בְּלֶכְתָּן. אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע חֵיוָון רַבְרְבָן עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּהַהוּא רָקִיעַ מִתְתַּקְּנָא עֲלַיְיהוּ. וְכֻלְהוּ גַדְפַיְיהוּ (ד"א ל"ג פרישן) מִתְחַבְּרָאן דָּא בְּדָא לְחַפְיָיא גוּפַיְיהוּ.

AND GOD SAID TO NOAH… THIS IS THE TOKEN OF THE COVENANT WHICH I MAKE BETWEEN ME AND YOU… I HAVE SET MY RAINBOW IN THE CLOUD. The past tense “I have set” shows that the bow had already been there. In connection with this passage R. Simeon discoursed on the verse: And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone (Ezek. 1, 26). ‘Before this verse,’ he said, ‘we find the words, “And when they went I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty” (Ibid. 24). These are the four sacred and mighty beings called Hayyoth (animals), by whom the firmament is upheld, and whose wings are usually joined together to cover their bodies.

Segment 2ב׳

וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִנוּן פָּרְשֵׂי גַדְפַיְיהוּ, אִשְׁתְּמַע קוֹל גַּדְפִין דְּכֻלְהוּ דְּאָמְרֵי שִׁירָתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כְּקוֹל שַׁדַּי. דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכִיךְ לְעָלְמִין. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (תהילים ל׳:י״ג) לְמַעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד וְלא יִדּוֹם. וּמַאי אָמְרֵי, (תהילים צ״ח:ב׳) הוֹדִיעַ יְיָ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹים גִּלָּה צִדְקָתוֹ.

When, however, they spread out their wings, a volume of sound swells forth, and they break out into songs of praise, “as the voice of the Almighty”, which never becomes silent, as it is written, “so that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent” (Ps. 30, 13). The tenour of their praises is, “The Lord hath made known his salvation, his righteousness hath he revealed in the sight of the nations” (Ps. 98, 2).

Segment 3ג׳

קוֹל הֲמֻלָּה כְּקוֹל מַחֲנְה, כְּקוֹל מַשִּׁרְיָיתָא קַדִּישָׁא כַּד מִתְחַבְּרָן כָּל חֵילִין עִלָּאִין לְעֵילָא. וּמַאי אָמְרֵי קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְיָ צְבָאוֹת מְלא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ. אֲהַדְּרוּ לְדָרוֹם אָמְרוּ קָדוֹשׁ, אֲהַדְּרוּ לְצָפוֹן אָמְרוּ קָדוֹשׁ. אֲהַדְּרוּ לְמִזְרָח אָמְרוּ קָדוֹשׁ. אֲהַדְּרוּ לְמַעֲרָב אָמְרוּ בָּרוּךְ.

It says further: “A noise of tumult like the noise of a host” (Ezek. 1, 24), i.e. like the sound of the holy camps when all the supernal armies assemble on high. What is it they declaim? “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory” (Is. 6, 3). They turn to the south and say “holy”, they turn to the north and say “holy”, they turn to the east and say “holy”, they turn to the west and say “blessed”.