זוהר, פנחס י״אZohar, Pinchas 11

Segment 1א׳

וְאִינּוּן דְּלָא יַדְעֵי רָזָא דָּא, אַמְרֵי בְּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי לָאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא, אֶלָּא בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא. וְהָא חֲזֵינָא לְאַבְרָהָם דְּחָזָא בְּמַזָּלֵיהּ, דְּלָא הֲוָה עָתִיד לְמֶהֱוִי לֵיהּ בְּרָא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק לֵיהּ לְבָרָא, כְּדִכְתִּיב (בראשית ט״ו:ה׳) וַיּוֹצֵּא אוֹתוֹ הַחוּצָּה וַיּאמֶר הַבֶּט וְגוֹ'. וְאַקְמוּהָ, דְאָמַר לֵיהּ צֵּא מֵאִצְּטַגְנִינוּת שֶׁלָּךְ, וְהֶעֱלָהוּ לְמַעְלָה מֵהַכֹּכָבִים, וְאָמַר לוֹ הַבֶּט נָא הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּסְפוֹר הַכֹּכָבִים. עַד הָכָא מִלִּין דְּרַבָּנָן, וְצָּרִיךְ לְפָרְשָׁא לוֹן בְּדֶרֶךְ נִסְתָּר.

And those who do not know this mystery say: children, life and sustenance — the matter does not depend upon merit, but the matter depends upon mazzal. And indeed we see Abraham, who saw by his mazzal that he was not destined to have a son, and the Holy One, blessed be He, brought him outside, as it is written, “And He brought him outside, and said: Look,” etc. (Gen. 15, 5). And it has been explained that He said to him: Go out from your astrology; and He raised him above the stars, and said to him, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars.” Up to here are the words of the Rabbis, and they must be explained by the hidden way.

Segment 2ב׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל בִּרְיָין דְּעָלְמָא, קוֹדֶם דְּאִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲווֹ תַּלְיָין בְּמַזָּלָא, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּנֵי חַיִּי וּמְזוֹנֵי. אֲבָל בָּתַר דְּאִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַפִּיק לוֹן מֵחִיּוּבָא דְּכֹכָבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי. וְדָא אוֹלִיפְנָא מֵאַבְרָהָם. בְּגִין דַּהֲווֹ עֲתִידִין בְּנוֹי לְקַבְּלָא ה' מֵאַבְרָהָם, דְּאִיהִי חֲמִשָּׁה חוּמָשֵׁי תּוֹרָה. דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם, בְּה' בְּרָאָם. אָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם, בְּגִין הַאי ה' דְּאִתוֹסָף בִּשְׁמָךְ, הַשָּׁמַיִם תַּחְתָּךְ, וְכָל כֹּכָבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵי דִּנְהִירִין בְּה'. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ (בראשית מ״ז:כ״ג) הֵ"א לָכֶם זְרַע, וּזְרַעְתֶּם בְּהֵ"א. (בראשית כ״א:י״ב) כִּי בְּיִצְּחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע.

Observe: all the creatures of the world, before the Torah was given to Israel, depended upon mazzal, even children, life and sustenance. But after the Torah was given to Israel, He brought them out from the compulsion of the stars and constellations. And this we learn from Abraham: because his children were destined to receive the He from Abraham, which is the five books of the Torah — of which it is said, “These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created” (Gen. 2, 4) — be-He bera'am, with He He created them. He said to Abraham: Because of this He that is added to your name, the heavens are beneath you, and all the stars and constellations that shine in the He. And not only this, but of it it is said, “Lo (He), here is seed for you, and you shall sow” (Gen. 47, 23) — with He. “For in Isaac shall seed be called to you” (Gen. 21, 12).

Segment 3ג׳

וּבְגִין דָּא, כָּל הַמִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בָּטִיל מִנֵּיהּ חִיוּבָא דְּכֹכָבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי. אִי אוֹלִיף לָהּ כְּדֵי לְקַיְּימָא פִּקּוּדָהָא. וְאִם לָאו, כְּאִלּוּ לָא אִשְׁתְּדַּל בָּהּ, וְלָא בָּטִיל מִנֵּיהּ חִיוּבָא דְּכֹכָבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ דְּאִינּוּן אִתְמַתְלָן לִבְעִירָן. דְּאוֹקְמוּהָ עָלַיְיהוּ (דברים כ״ז:כ״א) אָרוּר שׁוֹכֵב עִם כָּל בְּהֵמָה, דְּלָא אִתְבָּטְלוּן מִנְּהוֹן חִיוּבָא דְּכֹכָבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי.

And therefore, whoever occupies himself with the Torah, the compulsion of the stars and constellations is annulled from him — if he learns it in order to fulfil its commandments. And if not, it is as though he had not occupied himself with it, and the compulsion of the stars and constellations is not annulled from him. How much more so the ignorant, who are likened to beasts, for concerning them it has been explained, “Cursed be he who lies with any manner of beast” (Deut. 27, 21): that the compulsion of the stars and constellations is not annulled from them.