זוהר, פנחס פ״גZohar, Pinchas 83

Segment 1א׳

תּוּ כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים, לְתִקּוּנָא דְּעָלְמָא, וַדַּאי הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, אִי הָכִי מַהוּ וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּירְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו. אֶלָּא הַאי קְרָא הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, וְהוּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה בֵּין חַבְרָנָא, הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם, מַהוּ כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה, וְהָא כְּתִיב מַה שֶׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כְּבָר הָיָה, וְאַתְ אַמְרַת כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה.

Further: “whatever God will do” for the perfecting of the world — assuredly “it shall be forever.” R. Isaac said: If so, what is “and God has made it, that men should fear before Him”? Rather, this verse I have learnt thus — and it is a supernal mystery among our Companions: this verse should have read, “that whatever God has made, it shall be forever.” What is “whatever God will do”? For behold, it is written, “That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has already been” — and you say, “whatever He will do”!

Segment 2ב׳

אֶלָּא מִקְרָא אַחֲרָא אִשְׁתְּמַע, כְּתִיב (ישעיהו ס״ד:ג׳) עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ. יַעֲשֶׂה, עָשִׂיתָ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ, לָךְ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא אֲתָר עִלָּאָה הוּא, דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק וְאַדְלִיק בּוֹצִינִין כֻּלְּהוּ לְכָל עִיבָר, וְאִקְרֵי עוֹלָם הַבָּא. וּמִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק חַד אִילָנָא, לְאִתְשָׁקְיָא וּלְאִתְּתַקְנָא. וְהַאי אִילָנָא עִלָּאָה וְיַקִּירָא הוּא עַל כָּל שְׁאַר אִילָנִין, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ. וְהַהוּא עוֹלָם הַבָּא דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק, אַתְקִין לֵיהּ לְהַאי אִילָנָא תָּדִיר, אַשְׁקֵי לֵיהּ, וּמְתַקֵּן לֵיהּ בַּעֲבִידְתֵיהּ, מְעַטֵּר לֵיהּ בְּעִטְרִין, לָא פָּסִיק מַבּוּעֵי מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלַם לְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין.

But it is understood from another verse. It is written, “Eye has not seen, O God, beside You, what He will do for him who waits for Him” (Isa. 64, 3). “He will do” — it should have said, “You have done”; “for him who waits for Him” — it should have said, “for You.” But it is a supernal place, which flows and goes forth, and kindles all the lamps on every side; and it is called the world to come. And from it goes forth one tree, to be watered and to be perfected. And this tree is supernal and more precious than all the other trees; and it has been explained. And that world to come, which flows and goes forth, prepares this tree always: it waters it, and perfects it by its work, and crowns it with crowns. Its springs never cease from it, for ever and to all eternity.

Segment 3ג׳

בְּהַהוּא אִילָנָא תַּלְיָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא, בֵּיהּ שַׁרְיָא מִכָּל שְׁאַר אִילָנִין, קִיוּמָא דְּכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם. וַדַּאי הוּא הָיָה הוּא הוְֹה וְהוּא יְהֵא. עָלָיו אֵין לְהוֹסִיף, וּמִמֶּנּוּ אֵין לִגְרוֹעַ. וְעַל דָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כְּתִיב, (דברים י״ג:א׳) לֹא תוֹסִף עָלָיו וְלֹא תִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ. דְּאִילָנָא דָּא, דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא הוּא. וַאֲתָר דָּא אַתְקִין הָאֱלֹהִים תָּדִיר. הָאֱלֹהִים סְתָם, דָּא גְּבוּרָה מֵאֵין סוֹף וּמֵאֵין חֵקֶר. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו מ׳:כ״ח) אֵין חֵקֶר לִתְבוּנָתוֹ, הָאֱלֹהִים, וְלָא אֱלֹהִים. וְעַל דָּא עָשָׂה, יַעֲשֶׂה תָּדִיר, כְּמַבּוּעַ דְּלָא פַּסְקָן מֵימוֹי לְדָרֵי דָּרִין.

On that tree faith hangs; in it, rather than in all the other trees, it dwells; the existence of all is in it. And therefore it is written, “whatever God will do, it shall be forever” — assuredly, He was, He is, and He will be. “Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.” And therefore in the Torah it is written, “You shall not add to it, nor diminish from it” (Deut. 13, 1) — for this tree is of the Torah. And this place God (ha-Elohim) prepares always. Ha-Elohim, unqualified: this is gevurah, from En Sof (the Limitless) and from En Cheker (the Unsearchable); as you say, “There is no searching of His discernment” (Isa. 40, 28) — ha-Elohim, and not Elohim. And therefore “has made” is “will do” always, like a spring whose waters never cease, for generation after generation.