זוהר, פנחס ד׳Zohar, Pinchas 4

Segment 1א׳

רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים פ״ו:ב׳) שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּי חָסִיד אָנִי הוֹשַׁע עַבְדְךָ וְגוֹ'. סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, וּלְבָתַר קְרָא כֹּלָּא, סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא כְּתִיב, הַבּוֹטֵחַ אֵלֶיךָ, הַבּוֹטֵחַ בָּךְ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי הַבּוֹטֵחַ אֵלֶיךָ. אֶלָּא כִּבְיָכוֹל דָּוִד מַבְטַח לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יַעְבַּר לֵיהּ פַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא בְּשִׁנְתָּא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים קי״ט:ס״ב) חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה אָקוּם לְהוֹדוֹת לָךְ. קַמְתִּי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא, אָקוּם, וְאֶתְקְשַׁר בָּךְ לְעָלְמִין.

R. Judah opened and said: “Keep my soul, for I am pious; save Your servant,” etc. (Ps. 86, 2). The end of the verse must be looked into, and afterwards the whole verse. At the end of the verse it is written, “who trusts to You”; it should have said “who trusts in You” — what is “who trusts to You”? Rather, David, as it were, gave Him a pledge that the middle of the night would not pass over him in sleep, as it is written, “At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You” (Ps. 119, 62). It should have said “I rose”! Rather, “I will rise”, and bind myself to You for ever.

Segment 2ב׳

שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, שְׁמוֹר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. וְהָא תָּנֵינָן דְּלֵית אָת בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּלָא אִית בָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין. שָׁמְרָה. לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָאָמַר, שָׁמְרָה לְהַהוּא חוּלָקָא, דְּאִתְאֲחָד בֵּיהּ נֶפֶשׁ. דְּכַד נַפְשָׁא נָפְקָאת מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, אַתְיָא לְמֵירַת עָלְמָא (דאתי). אִי זָכֵי, כַּמָה חֵילִין עִלָּאִין נָפְקִין לָקֳבְלָא, וּלְנַטְרָא לָהּ, וּלְאַעֲלָא לָהּ בְּמָדוֹרָא דְּדוּכְתָהָא, וְהַאי ה' נָטִיל לָהּ, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא עִמָּהּ בְּרֵישׁ יַרְחֵי וְשַׁבַּתֵּי.

“Keep (shamrah) my soul” — it should have said shemor. But, as we have learnt, there is no letter in the Torah that does not hold supernal and precious mysteries. Shamrah: it is said to the Holy One, blessed be He: keep that portion to which the soul is joined. For when the soul goes out of this world, it comes to inherit the world (a variant adds: to come). If it is worthy, many supernal hosts go out to meet it, to guard it and to bring it into the abode of its place; and this letter He takes it, to be united with it on new moons and Sabbaths.

Segment 3ג׳

וְאִי לָא זָכֵי, כַּמָה גַּרְדִּינֵי טְהִירִין אִזְדַמְּנָן לָקֳבְלָהּ, וְדָחוּ לָהּ לְבַר. וַוי לְהַהִיא נַפְשָׁא, דְּמִתְגַּלְגְּלָא בְּרֵיקָנַיָּא, כְּאַבְנָא בְּקוּסְפִיתָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמואל א כ״ה:כ״ט) וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע. וְדָוִד בָּעֵי בָּעוּתֵיהּ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאָמַר, שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, דְּלָא יִדְחוּן לָהּ לְבַר. וְכַד מָטֵי (ס"א לקבלך, יפתחון לך) לָקֳבְלָהּ, יִפְתְּחוּן לָהּ פִּתְחִין, וּתְקַבֵּל לָהּ קַמָּךְ. כִּי חָסִיד אָנִי, וְכִי חָסִיד אִקְרֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אִין. דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״ה:ג׳) חַסְדֵי דָּוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים. בְּגִין כַּךְ שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, דְּלָא תִּשְׁבּוֹק לָהּ לְמֵהַךְ לְבַר.

And if it is not worthy, many swift emissaries of judgement are made ready to meet it, and they thrust it outside. Woe to that soul which is rolled about in emptiness like a stone in a sling! This is what is written, “and the soul of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the hollow of a sling” (I Sam. 25, 29). And David made his petition before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, “Keep my soul”, that they not thrust it outside; and when it arrives (a variant reads: toward You, they shall open for You) toward it, let them open doors for it, and may You receive it before You. “For I am pious” — and is David called pious? Said R. Judah: Yes, for it is written, “the sure mercies of David” (Isa. 55, 3). Therefore, “Keep my soul”, that You not let it go outside.