זוהר, פקודי מ״וZohar, Pekudei 46

Segment 1א׳

היכל לבנת הספיר יסוד ועטרה הֵיכָלָא קַדְמָאָה. שֵׁירוּתָא גּוֹ מְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְהַאי אִיהוּ שֵׁירוּתָא לְרָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וּבְדַרְגִין דְּחֵיזוּ דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. נְבִיאֵי קְשׁוֹט, הֲווֹ חָמָאן מִגּוֹ דָּא אַסְפָקָלַרְיָא דְּאֵינָה מְאִירָה, וּבְגִין דְּהַאי אִיהוּ שֵׁירוּתָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, כְּתִיב (הושע א׳:ב׳) תְּחִלַּת דִּבֶּר יְיָ' בְּהוֹשֵׁעַ. דְּחָמָא מִגּוֹ דַּרְגָא דָּא, דְּאִיהוּ שֵׁירוּתָא דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, וְסוֹפָא דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין לְנַחְתָּא לְתַתָּא.

The palace of the paved work of sapphire — yesod (foundation) and the crown. The first palace. The beginning within faith; and this is the beginning of the mystery of faith, and among the grades of the vision of faith. The true prophets used to see from within this mirror that does not shine; and because this is the beginning of faith, it is written, “The beginning of the Lord’s speaking with Hosea” (Hos. 1, 2) — for he saw from within this grade, which is the beginning of all the grades in ascending above, and the end of all the grades in coming down below.

Segment 2ב׳

וּבְגִין דְּהוֹשֵׁעַ חָמָא מִגּוֹ שֵׁירוּתָא דָּא, סוֹפָא דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְנַטְלָא הַאי אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְדָּחוּ וְאִתְמְשָׁכוּ מִתַמָּן לְתַתָּא, לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים, בְּגִין דְּשַׁבְקוּ, וְלָא אִתְדָּבָּקוּ בְּהַאי אֵשֶׁת חַיִל. וְחָמָא מִתַמָּן כָּל אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין דְּאִינּוּן בְּסִטְרָא מְסַאֲבָא. (דאית ליה)

And because Hosea saw from within this beginning, the end of all the grades, he had to take this wife of harlotry; for Israel were thrust away and were drawn from there downward, toward that place which is called a wife of harlotry, because they forsook, and did not cleave to, this woman of valour. And he saw from there all those palaces that are on the unclean side. (A variant reads: that he has.)

Segment 3ג׳

הֵיכָלִין דִּמְסָאֲבָא, כֻּלְּהוּ מִסְאָבִין לְמַאן דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בְּהוֹן, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, קַח לְךָ אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים וְגוֹ'. וְכִי נְבִיאָה דִּקְשׁוֹט אִצְטְרִיךְ לְדָא. אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּאָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאַעֲלָא בְּאִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְמְשַׁךְ אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָבַד נֹחַ, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ט׳:כ״א) וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁכָּר וַיִּתְגַּל.

The palaces of uncleanness are all unclean to whoever cleaves to them; and therefore it is written, “Take for yourself a wife of harlotry,” etc. And does a true prophet need this? Rather, because it is forbidden for a man to enter into those palaces, so that he should not be drawn after them, after the pattern of what Noah did, as it is written, “and he drank of the wine and was drunken, and he was uncovered” (Gen. 9, 21).