זוהר, שלח לך ט״וZohar, Sh'lach 15

Segment 1א׳

אִלֵּין הָכָא וְאִלֵּין הָכָא. דְּאִינּוּן (ס"א מגדלין) מַרְגְּלָאן דְּאֶבֶן טָבָא כֻּלְּהוּ. בֵּין כֻּלְּהוּ מִגְדָּלִין אִית חַד מִגְדָּל דְּאֶבֶן טָבָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא. וְדָא סָלִיק לְרוּם רְקִיעָא, וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי הַשְׁתָּא, עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּיִתְגְּלֵי. רַב מְתִיבְתָּא חָמָא לֵיהּ, וַהֲוָה רָשִׁים בֵּיהּ לְעֵילָּא הַאי קְרָא, (משלי י״ח:י׳) מִגְדָּל עֹז שֵׁם יְיָ בּוֹ יָרוּץ צַדִּיק וְנִשְׂגָּב. וּפָרִישׂ רַב מְתִיבְתָא קְרָא דָּא, מִגְדָּל עֹז: דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. בּוֹ יָרוּץ צַדִּיק: בֵּיהּ רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּצַדִּיק תָּדִיר. וְעַל דָּא, וְנִשְׂגַּב הַהוּא מִגְדָּל, דְּלָא יִנְפּוֹל לְעָלְמִין, כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה.

These here and those there, for they are all (a variant reads: towers) pearls of precious stone. Among all the towers there is one tower of precious stone in the middle, and this one rises to the height of the firmament, and is not seen now, until that time when it shall be revealed. The Head of the Academy saw it, and this verse was inscribed upon it above: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it, and is set on high” (Prov. 18, 10). And the Head of the Academy expounded this verse: “a strong tower”, this is the Community of Israel; “the righteous runs into it”, in it is the desire of the Righteous One continually; and therefore “is set on high”, that tower, so that it shall never fall as it fell before.

Segment 2ב׳

וְרִבִּי כְּרוּסְפְּדָאי חָמִיד לִבָּא, פָּרִישׁ הַאי קְרָא עַד לָא אִסְתַּלָּק, וּפָרִישׂ שַׁפִּיר. מִגְדָּל עֹז: דָּא תֵּיבָה, וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה דְּאִיהוּ עֹז, לְשַׁוָּאָה בֵּיהּ, וּלְאַפָּקָא לֵיהּ מִגּוֹ הֵיכָל, דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּהֵיכָל פְּנִימָאָה, דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקָא תּוֹרָה, וְהַהוּא מִגְדָּל שֵׁם יְיָ אִיהוּ, וּדְיּוּקְנָא דִּילֵיהּ וְאִצְטְרִיךְ בְּשִׁית דַּרְגִּין.

And R. Kruspedai, the delight of the heart, expounded this verse before he departed, and expounded it well. “A strong tower”, this is the ark, and the Scroll of the Law, which is “strength”, to be set within it and to be brought out of it from the palace, the likeness of the inner palace, from which the Torah comes forth. And that tower is the name of the Lord, and its likeness; and it must be by six steps.

Segment 3ג׳

בּוֹ יָרוּץ צַדִּיק, בְּמַאן. בְּמִגְדַּל, אוֹ בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה. אֶלָּא קְרָא דָּרִישׁ בְּהַאי וּבְהַאי. כַּד דָּרַשׁ בְּמִגְדַּל, אִצְטְרִיךְ צַדִּיק דָּא דְּלִיהֱוִי חֲזַן הַכְּנֶסֶת, זַכָּאָה דִּקְשׁוֹט, וּדְיּוּקְנָא דְּצַדִּיק עִלָּאָה. כַּד דָּרִישׁ לְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, מַאן דְּסָלִיק לְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה לְמִקְרֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִצְטְרִיךְ צַדִּיק. וְצַדִּיק אִקְרֵי. מַאן אִקְרֵי צַדִּיק מְכֻּלְּהוּ. שְׁתִיתָאָה, דְּסָלִיק מֵאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וַדַּאי, דְּאִיהוּ לָא סָלִיק כָּל יוֹמוֹי, אֶלָּא שְׁתִיתָאָה לְאִינּוּן דְּסַלְּקִין. בּוֹ יָרוּץ צַדִּיק, בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה יָרוּץ דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיק דָּא. וְנִשְׂגַּב מִמַּאן. מִדְּחִילוּ דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת, דְּהָא אוֹרִיךְ יוֹמִין. וְנִשְׂגַּב דְּלָא יִתְנְזָק לְעָלְמִין.

“The righteous runs into it” — into what? Into the tower, or into the Scroll of the Law? But the verse expounds both this and that. When it expounds of the tower, this righteous one must be the minister of the congregation, a truly worthy man, in the likeness of the supernal Righteous One. When it expounds of the Scroll of the Law, whoever goes up to the Scroll of the Law to read the Torah must be righteous, and is called righteous. Who of them all is called righteous? The sixth, who goes up of those seven. R. Simeon said: Certainly, for he goes up all his days only as the sixth of those who go up. “The righteous runs into it”: in the Scroll of the Law the words of this righteous one shall run. “And is set on high” — from whom? From the fear of the Angel of Death, for his days are long; “and is set on high”, so that he shall never be harmed.