זוהר, פנחס ל״גZohar, Pinchas 33

Segment 1א׳

(תהילים פ״ו:ב׳) הוֹשַׁע עַבְדְּךָ אַתָּה אֱלֹהַי שַׂמֵּחַ נֶפֶשׁ עַבְדֶּךָ תְּנָה עֻזְּךָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ. תְּלַת זִמְנִין אִתְעָבִיד דָּוִד עֶבֶד בִּתְהִלָּה דָּא, לָקֳבֵל ג' זִמְנִין, דְּאוֹקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמֶהֱוִי עַבְדָּא בִּצְלוֹתָא. בְּבִרְכָאן קַדְמָאִין, כְּעֶבֶד דִּמְסַדֵּר שְׁבָחוֹי קַמֵּי רַבֵּיהּ. בְּאֶמְצָעִיּוֹת, כְּעַבְדָּא דְּבָעֵי פְּרָס מֵרַבֵּיהּ. בַּאַחֲרוֹנוֹת, כְּעֶבֶד דְּמוֹדֶה קֳדָם רַבֵּיהּ, בַּפְּרַס דְּקַבִּיל מִינֵיהּ, וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ.

“O You my God, save Your servant” (Ps. 86, 2); “Rejoice the soul of Your servant”; “Give Your strength to Your servant.” Three times David made himself a servant in this psalm, corresponding to the three times that the sages of the Mishnah have explained a man must be a servant in prayer: in the first blessings, as a servant who sets out his praises before his master; in the middle ones, as a servant who asks a reward of his master; in the last, as a servant who gives thanks before his master for the reward he has received from him, and goes his way.

Segment 2ב׳

וּתְלַת זִמְנִין דְּבָעֵי לְמֶעְבַּד עֶבֶד, מִסִּטְרָא דְּעֲבוֹדָה. דְּאוֹקְמוּהָ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, דְּלֵית עֲבוֹדָה אֶלָּא תְּפִלָּה. וּתְלַת אֲבָהָן, אִתְקְרִיאוּ עֲבָדִים מִסִּטְרָהָא, עַל שֵׁם שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִיהִי עֲבוֹדַת יְיָ. וְאוֹף הָכִי מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְיָ. וּבְגִין דָּא, (ויקרא כה) כִּי לִי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים. אֲבָל לְגַבֵּי אַחֲרָנִין, כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי מְלָכִים הֵם, מִסִּטְרָא דְּמַלְכוּת. וְאִיהִי אֲמַאי אִתְקְרִיאַת עֲבוֹדָה. כְּאוֹרַח דְּאִתְּתָא לְמִיפְלַח לְבַעְלָהּ, וְאוֹרַח בְּנִין, לְמִפְלַח לַאֲבוּהוֹן.

And three times he must make himself a servant, from the side of service (avodah); as the sages of the Mishnah have explained: there is no service but prayer. And the three patriarchs were called servants from her side, after the name of the Shekinah, who is the service of the Lord. And so too “Moses the servant of the Lord”. And therefore, “For to Me the children of Israel are servants” (Lev. 25). But with regard to others, all Israel are the sons of kings, from the side of malchut (kingship). And why is she called service? As is the way of a wife, to serve her husband, and the way of sons, to serve their father.