זוהר, פקודי כ׳Zohar, Pekudei 20

Section 20 of 63 in Pekudei — 8 segments

Segment 1א׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, (נח ב', רל"א ע"א) נִשְׁמְתָא לָא סַלְּקָא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, עַד דְּזָכָאת לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא לְאִתְחֲזָאָה תַּמָּן. וְכֵן כְּגַוְונָא דָּא לָא נַחְתָּא לְתַתָּא, עַד דְּאִתְלַבְּשַׁת בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי (ק"נ ע"א) עָלְמָא.

Observe that man’s soul does not ascend to appear before the Holy King unless she is first worthy to be attired in the supernal raiment. Likewise, the soul does not descend into this world until clad in the garments of this world.

Segment 2ב׳

כְּגַוְונָא דָּא מַלְאֲכִין קַדִּישִׁין דִּלְעֵילָּא, דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ (תהילים ק״ד:ד׳) עוֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לוֹהֵט. כַּד עַבְדִּין (רל"א ע"א) שְׁלִיחוּתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לָא נַחְתִּין לְתַתָּא, עַד דְּמִתְלַבְּשִׁין בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאָזִיל תַּמָּן. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, דְּנִשְׁמְתָא לָא סַלְּקָא, אֶלָּא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּנָהִיר.

Similarly, the holy heavenly angels, of whom it is written, “Who makest thy angels into winds and thy ministers into flaming fire” (Ps. 104, 4), when they have to execute a message in this world do not come down to it before they clothe themselves in the garments of this world. The attire thus has always to be in harmony with the place visited; and the soul, as we have said, can only ascend when clad in ethereal raiment.

Segment 3ג׳

וְתָא חֲזֵי, אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן כַּד הֲוָה בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, הֲוָה מִתְלָבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וְאִיהוּ לְבוּשָׁא דִּנְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְתָּרַךְ מִגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לִגְוָונִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מַה כְּתִיב (בראשית ג׳:כ״א) וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם. בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֲווֹ כָּתְנוֹת אוֹר, אוֹר, דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה, דְּשִׁמֵּשׁ בֵּיהּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן.

Adam in the Garden of Eden was attired in supernal raiment, of celestial radiancy. As soon as he was driven from the Garden of Eden and had need of forms suited to this world, “the Lord God”, Scripture says, “made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin (‘or), and clothed them” (Gen. 3, 21). Formerly they were garments of light (‘or), to wit, of the celestial light in which Adam ministered in the Garden of Eden.

Segment 4ד׳

בְּגִין דְּהָא גִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, נְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה דְּנָהִיר מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בֵּיהּ. וְעַל דָּא, אָדָם קַדְמָאָה כַּד עָאל לְגוֹ גִּנְתָּא, אַלְבִּישׁ לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא, וְאָעִיל לֵיהּ תַּמָּן. וְאִי לָא אִתְלָבַּשׁ בְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא, לָא יֵיעוּל לְתַמָן. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְתָּרַךְ מִתַּמָּן, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמַלְבּוּשָׁא אַחֲרָא, כְּדֵין, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר. וְכֹלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. וְהָכָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, עָשׂוּ בִּגְדֵי שְׂרָד לְשָׁרֵת בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, לְאַעֲלָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא.

For, inasmuch as it is the resplendency of the celestial light that ministers in the Garden of Eden, when first man entered into the Garden, the Holy One, blessed be He, clothed him first in the raiment of that light. Otherwise he could not have entered there. When driven out, however, he had need of other garments; hence “garments of skin”. So here also “they made residual garments to minister in the holy place”, so as to enable the wearer to enter the Sanctuary.

Segment 5ה׳

וְהָא (ב' ע"א) אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּעוֹבָדִין טָבִין דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּעָבִיד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין מַשְׁכֵי מִנְּהוֹרָא דְּזִיוָא עִלָּאָה, לְבוּשָׁא, לְאִתְתַּקְנָא בֵּיהּ לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּבְהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא דְּלָבִישׁ, אִתְהֲנֵי וְחָמֵי גּוֹ אַסְפָּקָלַרְיָא דְּנַהֲרָא, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים כ״ז:ד׳) לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ' וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ.

Now, it has been already taught that a man’s good deeds done in this world draw from the celestial resplendency of light a garment with which he may be invested when in the next world he comes to appear before the Holy One, blessed be He. Apparelled in that raiment, he is in a state of bliss and feasts his eyes on the radiant effulgence. So Scripture says: “To behold the graciousness of the Lord, and to visit early in his temple” (Ps. 27, 4).

…and 3 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)