זוהר, שמות ב׳Zohar, Shemot 2

Segment 1א׳

רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח, (יחזקאל א') הָיֹה הָיָה דְּבַר ה', הָיֹה הָיָה תְּרֵי זִמְנִי אֲמַאי. וְתוּ אִית לְשָׁאֲלָה, אִי יְחֶזְקֵאל נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא הֲוָה, (שמות פ"ב ב') אֲמַאי גַּלֵּי כָּל מַה דְּחָמָא, מַאן דְּמַלְכָּא אָעִיל לֵיהּ בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ אִית לֵיהּ לְגַלָאָה רָזִין דְּחָמֵי. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי יְחֶזְקֵאל נְבִיאָה מְהֵימָנָא הֲוָה, וְכָל מַה דְּחָמָא בִּמְהֵימָנוּתָא אִיהוּ, וּבִרְשׁוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גַּלֵּי כָּל מַה דְּגַלֵּי, וְכֹלָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ.

R. Simeon compared the Egyptian with the Babylonian exile, basing his remarks on the text: “The word of the Lord came (lit. coming came) to Ezekiel” (Ezek. 1, 3). ‘Why’, he said, ‘the double expression “coming came”? Moreover, if Ezekiel was indeed a faithful prophet, why did he disclose the whole of his vision? Is it right and meet for one whom the king has invited to his palace to reveal all the secrets which he has seen there? Now Ezekiel was indeed a faithful prophet, and whatever he saw he faithfully kept secret, and whatever he revealed he revealed by permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, and for proper reasons.

Segment 2ב׳

אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מַאן דְּרָגִיל לְמִסְבַּל צַעֲרָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּאָתֵי לְפוּם שַׁעְתָא צַעֲרָא, סָבִיל מַטְלָנוֹי, וְלָא חָיִישׁ, אֲבָל מַאן דְּלָא רָגִיל בְּצַּעַר, וַהֲוָה כָּל יוֹמוֹי בְּתַפְנוּקִין וְעִידוּנִין, וְאָתֵי לֵיהּ צַעֲרָא, דָּא אִיהוּ צַעֲרָא שְׁלִים, וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִבְכֵּי.

Observe now that one who is accustomed to pain bears it patiently, but if one is not accustomed to pain and has always lived at ease, when pain comes upon him he really feels it keenly and deserves to be pitied.

Segment 3ג׳

כַּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד נַחְתּוּ לְמִצְרַיִם, רְגִילִין בְּצַעֲרָא הֲווֹ, דְּהָא כָּל יוֹמוֹי דְּהַהוּא זַכָּאָה אֲבוּהוֹן בְּצַעֲרָא הֲוָה, וְעַל דָּא סָבְלוּ גָּלוּתָא כְּדְקָא יָאוּת. אֲבָל גָּלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל הַהוּא הֲוָה צַעֲרָא שְׁלִים, הַהוּא הֲוָה צַעֲרָא דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין בָּכָאן עָלֵיהּ.

So when Israel went to Egypt they were inured to suffering, their father, the righteous Jacob, having been all his life a man of sorrows, and they could thus endure the exile patiently. But the exile of Babylon was a real torment for which there was weeping both in heaven and on earth,