זוהר, שלח לך ל״טZohar, Sh'lach 39

Segment 1א׳

יַתִּיר (קהלת ד׳:ה׳) חוֹבֵק אֶת יָדָיו, בִּמְרִירוּ וַאֲנִינוּ דִּילֵיהּ, וּלְבָתַר אוֹכֵל אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ בְּעַל כָּרְחֵיהּ, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עַל מִלָּה אַחֲרָא. מָה אִתְהֲנֵי לֵיהּ בְּכָל מַה דְּאַסְטֵי וְעָבִיד וְעָמֵל, דִּלְבָתַר לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ, אֶלָּא עַל דִּילֵיהּ לְבָתַר מַרְקִיד וְחַדֵּי, כַּכְּסִיל בְּלָא דַּעְתָּא כְּלָל, וְאָזִיל בְּלָא תּוֹעַלְתָּא, וְאָכִיל לְבִשְׂרָא. וּבַשְּׁאָר לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ. מְרִירוּ דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, כַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָאקוּ, וְאָכְלֵי לוֹן שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן וְלָא יַהֲבֵי חֵילָא בְּעוֹבָדִין טָבִין דִּלְהוֹן, לְאַפָּקָא מִנֵּיהּ.

Still more: “he folds his hands” (Eccl. 4, 5), in his bitterness and his grief; and afterwards “he eats his own flesh” against his will, for he has no leave to rule over any other thing. What does he gain by all that he accuses and does and toils at, when afterwards he has no leave save over what is his own? Afterwards he dances and rejoices, like the fool with no knowledge at all, and goes without profit, and eats the flesh; and over the rest he has no leave. Bitterness above and below, when Israel are in distress and their enemies devour them, and they give no strength by their good deeds, to bring out from him.

Segment 2ב׳

וַאֲפִילּוּ מִבִּשְׂרֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ מֵהַאי סְטָר, אַבְאִישׁ קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן. אֲבָל עַל דִּילֵיהּ, רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא וְנִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא, לֵית עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְטָא עֲלוֹי כְּלָל. וְעַל דָּא כָּל תַּסְקוּפִין, וְכָל מַה דְּאַסְטֵי הַהוּא רָע, דְּחָשִׁיב לְמִשְׁלַט עַל רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְבָתַר לָא יָכִיל, וְיָשׁוּב וְאוֹכֵל אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ. מַה תּוֹעַלְתָּא הֲוָה לֵיהּ. וְעוֹד דְּאִינּוּן חָפָּאן כֻּלְּהוּ כְּעַרְטִירָאָה תַּקִּיף, וְלֵית שְׁכִיכוּ לְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין.

And even from his own flesh, which is from this side, it is evil in the sight of the holy King, who is merciful and gracious. But over what is His own — the holy spirit and the holy soul — neither the supernal ones nor the lower ones can rule at all. And therefore all the pretexts, and all that that evil one accuses, thinking to rule over the holy spirit — and afterwards he cannot, and he returns and eats his own flesh: what profit had he? And moreover they all cover themselves like one stripped utterly bare, and there is no stillness for the supernal ones and the lower ones.

Segment 3ג׳

תָּא וְאֵימָא לְךָ מִלָּה. אִי תֵּימָא, דְּחֵדוּ הוּא לְמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת, כַּד קָטִיל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. לָאו. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּחָמֵי דִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ בְּכַךְ, אַחְזֵי גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּחֵדוּ, לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים קמ״ח:ח׳) רוּחַ סְעָרָה עוֹשָׂה דְבָרוֹ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְהָא אִיהוּ אָזִיל וּמְרַקֵּד בְּחֶדְוָה קַמֵּי נָשִׁין. אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, לְאַחֲזָאָה קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא דְּנִיחָא לֵיהּ בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. אֲבָל נַיְיחָא דִּילֵיהּ בְּהֶסְפֵּדָא דְּנָשִׁין, אִיהוּ רָקִיד וְאוּדְנֵיהּ לְהֶסְפֵּדָא.

Come, and let me tell you a thing. If you should say that it is a joy to the angel of death when he kills the children of men — it is not so. But because he sees that his Master's will is in this, he shows himself in joy, to do the will of the Holy One, blessed be He; as it is written, “stormy wind fulfilling His word” (Ps. 148, 8). R. Simeon said to him: But see, he goes and dances with joy before the women. He said to him: O holy pious one, certainly it is so — to show before the King that he is pleased with the King's will. But his own contentment is in the lamentation of the women: he dances, and his ear is to the lamentation.