זוהר, פנחס פ״דZohar, Pinchas 84

Segment 1א׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, עַל הַאי אִילָנָא דְּכָל חֵילוֹי בֵּיהּ שַׁרְיָא, אָמַר דָּוִד, (תהילים ט״ז:ה׳) אַתָּה תּוֹמִיךְ גּוֹרָלִי. מַהוּ גּוֹרָלִי. דָּא עַדְבָא דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא. וְעַל דָּא, עַל פִּי הַגּוֹרָל (ס"א כן ביה על פי) כְּתִיב. וְכֵן הוּא עַל פִּי יְיָ. וַיָּמָת שָׁם עַל פִּי יְיָ. הַגּוֹרָל כְּתִיב. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּאִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילֵי, וְיַדְעֵי אָרְחוֹי. וְאִינּוּן אַכְלֵי בְּכָל יוֹמָא מְזוֹנָא עִלָּאָה. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (קהלת ז׳:י״ב) הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה בְעָלֶיהָ. דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא מֵאֲתָר דָּא אִתְזָן, וְהָא אִתְּמַר עָלַיְיהוּ, (ישעיהו ס״ה:י״ג) הִנֵּה עֲבָדַי יֹאכֵלוּ.

Observe: of this tree, in which all its hosts dwell, David said, “You maintain my lot” (Ps. 16, 5). What is “my lot”? This is the portion to which King David held fast. And therefore “according to the lot” (a variant reads: thus of it, “according to”) is written. And so it is “according to the word of the Lord”: “And he died there according to the word of the Lord” — “the lot” is written. Happy is the portion of those who occupy themselves with the Torah day and night and know its paths; and they eat supernal food every day, as you say, “wisdom preserves the life of him who has it” (Eccl. 7, 12). For the Torah above is nourished from this place; and it has been said of them, “Behold, My servants shall eat” (Isa. 65, 13).

Segment 2ב׳

רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (יחזקאל א׳:כ״ה) וַיְהִי קוֹל מֵעַל לָרָקִיעַ. דָּא קוֹל דְּאָחִיד לְהַאי רָקִיעַ, וְאִשְׁתְּתַּף בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וְדָא הוּא (תהילים קי״א:ד׳) זֵכֶר עָשָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו. וְהַהוּא רְקִיעָא קָאִים עָלַיְיהוּ, עַל אִינּוּן חֵיוָון. וְדָא הוּא דְּאִבְרֵי בַּשֵּׁנִי, (בראשית א׳:ו׳) לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם.

R. Abba opened and said: “And there was a voice above the firmament” (Ezek. 1, 25). This is a voice that holds fast to this firmament and is joined with it. And this is “He has made a memorial for His wonderful works” (Ps. 111, 4). And that firmament stands over them, over those Hayyoth. And this is the one that was created on the second day, “to divide between the waters and the waters” (Gen. 1, 6).

Segment 3ג׳

וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְּשִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִין לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא. וַדַּאי וִילוֹן אֵינוֹ מְשַׁמֵּשׁ, דְּהָא לֵית לֵיהּ מִדִּילֵיהּ, אֶלָּא מַה דְּיָהֲבִין לֵיהּ. וּמִסְכְּנֵי בֵּיהּ אִתְאֲחָדוּ, דָּא הוּא רָזָא דִּכְתִּיב, (דברי הימים ב כב) וּבְעָנְיִי הֲכִינוֹתִי לְבֵית אֱלֹהַי. וְדָא מַכְנִיס שַׁחֲרִית וּמוֹצִיא עַרְבִית. דְּהָא בְּלֵילְיָא, אַפִּיק חַיָּלוֹי לְכָל סִטְרִין, וְשַׁלְטָא עַל אִינּוּן חַיָּילִין וְאֻכְלוֹסִין. וּבְשַׁחֲרִית כָּנִישׁ לְכֻלְּהוּ, וְאָעִיל לְנֻקְבַיְיהוּ, וְלָא שַׁלְטִין. דְּהָא בֹּקֶר כָּלִיל כֻּלְּהוּ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים צ״ב:ג׳) לְהַגִּיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ וְאֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת. וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ.

And it has been explained that there are seven firmaments, one above another. Surely Vilon does not serve, for it has nothing of its own, only what is given to it; and the poor are joined to it. This is the mystery of what is written, “And in my poverty I have prepared for the house of my God” (II Chron. 22). And this one brings in at morning and brings out at evening. For at night it brings out its hosts to every side, and rules over those hosts and multitudes; and at morning it gathers them all in and brings them into their holes, and they do not rule. For morning comprises them all, as you say, “To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness in the night seasons” (Ps. 92, 3). And it has been explained.