זוהר, פנחס ע״וZohar, Pinchas 76

Section 76 of 129 in Pinchas — 7 segments

Segment 1א׳

מַאי חָמָא. חָמָא מ', אָת דָּא דְּהֲוָה טָאס בִּרְקִיעָא, וְדָא הוּא סִימָנָא דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת, דְּבַעְיָא לְאִתְבָּנָאָה בְּאָת וָא"ו וְאָת ת'. מָה עֲבַד פִּנְחָס. דְּהֲוָה מִתְלָבַּשׁ בְּיִצְחָק, כְּדֵין נָטִיל הַהוּא אָת מ', וְחָטַף לֵיהּ, וְחִבֵּר לֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת, דְּפִנְחָס חָטַף לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא מ' בַּהֲדֵיהּ, מִיַּד תָּב לַאֲחוֹרָא.

He saw the letter mim descending upon them, which is the sign of the Angel of Death, so he snatched it and drew it to him and at once the Angel of Death drew back.

Segment 2ב׳

מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּכַד קַנֵּי בְּלִבֵּיהּ פִּינְחָס, אִתְלְבַּשׁ בְּיִצְחָק, וְאִסְתַּלָּק לְמֶהֱוִי בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא ר"ח, וְהָכִי סָלִיק שְׁמֵיהּ ר"ח, וְהָכִי סָלִיק יִצְחָק. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לְאָת מ' טָאס בִּרְקִיעָא, חָטַף לֵיהּ, וְחִבֵּר לֵיהּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ וְאִתְעָבִיד מִיַּד רמ"ח, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ.

What is the reason? Because when Phineas was zealous in his heart, he clothed himself in Isaac and rose to be, in the reckoning, two hundred and eight (Resh-Heth); and so his name comes to two hundred and eight, and so Isaac comes to it. When he saw the letter Mem flying in the firmament, he snatched it and joined it with himself, and at once it became Resh-Mem-Heth. This is what is written, “And he took a spear (romach) in his hand.”

Segment 3ג׳

בְּגִין דְּאוֹת מ' הֲוָה סִימָנָא קַדְמָאָה לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, לְמִבְנֵי מָוְת עַל עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּאָת דָּא הֲוָה טָאס עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּאָדָם, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ג׳:ו׳) וַתִּקַּח מִפִּרְיוֹ, מ' פִּרְיוֹ. וַהֲוָה מְחַכָּא ו"ת, בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב, (הקדמת בראשית י"ב ע"ב) וַתֹּאכַל, וַתִּתֵּן, וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה. כְּדֵין אִתְבְּנֵי מָוְת עַל עָלְמָא.

For the letter Mem was the first sign for the first man, to build death over the world; for this letter was flying over the head of Adam at the time when it is written, “and she took of its fruit” (Gen. 3, 6) — the Mem of mi-piryo (of its fruit). And it was waiting for Vau-Tau, at the time when it is written (Introduction to Bereshit, folio 12b), “and she ate (va-tochal)”, “and she gave (va-titen)”, “and they were opened (va-tippakachnah)”. Then death (mavet) was built over the world.

Segment 4ד׳

פִּנְחָס הֲוָה חָמֵי לֵיהּ הַשְׁתָּא הַהוּא אָת מ', טָאִיס עַל רֵישֵׁיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהֵיאַךְ חָמָא לֵיהּ. חָמָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּמ' פְּתוּחָה, מַלְיָא דָּמָא. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ, אָמַר הָא וַדַּאי סִימָנָא דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת, מִיַּד חָטַף לָהּ, אַדְכַּר עָלָהּ שְׁמָא מְפֹרָשׁ, וְנָחִית לְהַאי אָת לְגַבֵּיהּ. וּמַה דְּהֲוָה ר"ח, אִתְצְרִיף רמ"ח. כְּדֵין וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח בְּיָדוֹ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת קִנְאָתִי, דְּקַנֵּי לִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דַּהֲווֹ מְחַבְּרִין לֵיהּ בִּרְשׁוּ אַחֲרָא. בְּתוֹכָם, מַאי בְּתוֹכָם. בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה אָזִל וְעָאל בְּגוֹ כַּמָה אוּכְלוּסִין, כַּמָּה רַבְרְבָן, וּמָסַר גַּרְמֵיהּ לְמוֹתָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. אֲבָל בְּתוֹכָם, בְּתוֹךְ מ', בְּתוֹךְ מ' הֲוָה הַהוּא קִנְאָה דְּקַנֵּי.

Phineas now saw that letter Mem flying over the heads of Israel. And how did he see it? He saw the form of an open Mem, full of blood. As soon as he saw it, he said: This is surely the sign of the angel of death. At once he snatched it, pronounced over it the Ineffable Name, and brought this letter down to himself. And what had been Resh-Heth was joined into Resh-Mem-Heth. Then, “And he took a spear in his hand.” And of this it is written, “from the children of Israel, in that he was very zealous for My sake,” for he was zealous for the holy Name, which they were joining to another dominion. “Among them” (be-tokham) — what is “among them”? Because he went and entered among many multitudes, many chiefs, and gave himself over to death among them. But “among them”: within the Mem (be-tokh Mem) — within the Mem was that zeal with which he was zealous.

Segment 5ה׳

מַאי טַעְמָא מ'. בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי סִימָנָא דְּמָוְת, אִיהִי סִימָנָא דְּמ' מַלְקִיּוֹת. אִיהִי סִימָנָא דְּד' מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין. וּמִתַּמָּן סָלִיק וְנָחִית, נָחִית וְסָלִיק, סָלִיק לְמ', וְנָחִית לְד'. נָחִית מְד', אִינּוּן ד' רוּחִין, דְּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מִגּוֹ דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא מִמְּסָאֲבוּתָא, וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ ד' מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין. וּמִתַּמָּן סַלְּקִין לְמ'. וְהַיְינוּ מ' סִימָנָא וּמָאנִין דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת. וְדָא נָטִיל פִּנְחָס, וְקָם בְּתוֹךְ מ', וְעַל דָּא וְלֹא כִלִּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקִנְאָתִי.

It may be asked, How can it be said that Phineas turned back the wrath of God from Israel seeing that so many died of the plague?

…and 2 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)

English: rendered from the Aramaic for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a commentary; the Zohar is learned with a teacher