זוהר, תזריע י״אZohar, Tazria 11

Segment 1א׳

רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי אֲחָא הֲווֹ יַתְבֵי לֵילְיָא חַד קַמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי אַבָּא. קָמוּ בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. עַד דְּנָפְקוּ לְבַר, חָמוּ חַד כֹּכָבָא דְּהֲוָה בָּטַשׁ ג' זִמְנֵי בְּכֹכָבָא אָחֳרָא וְסָתִים נְהוֹרֵיהּ. אַדְהָכִי שָׁמְעוּ תְּרֵי קָלֵי בִּתְרֵי סִטְרֵי, קָלָא חַד לִסְטַר צָפוֹן לְעֵילָּא, וְקָלָא חַד לְתַתָּא. וְהַהוּא קָלָא אַכְרִיז וְאָמַר, עוּלוּ וְאִתְכְּנִישׁוּ לְאַתְרַיְיכוּ, הַשְׁתָּא אִסְתַּמְרוּתָא דְּנוּקְבָּא פְּתִיחָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָאל לְטַיְילָא בְּגִנְתָא, לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בְּצַדִיקַיָּיא דִּי בְּגִנְתָא, אַעְבָר הַהוּא קָלָא וְשָׁכִיךְ.

R. Hiya and R. Aha were sitting one night with R. Abba. They rose at midnight to study the Torah, and when they went outside they saw a star strike another star three times and put out its light. They then heard two voices from different directions, one from the north above and one below, which proclaimed: “Go now in to your places, now the hollow of the abyss is closed and the Holy One, blessed be He, goes into the Garden to have joyous communion with the righteous there”. The voice then died away, and R. Aha and R. Abba turned their heads and said: ‘Verily this is the hour when the Community of Israel arises to join the Holy King. Verily the Community of Israel meets the Holy One, blessed be He, only with song and praise until morning, and the King twines round her a thread of grace, and not round her alone but round all who accompany her. Let us go and join her.’

Segment 2ב׳

אָהַדְרוּ רִבִּי אֲחָא וְרִבִּי חִיָיא, אָמְרוּ, הָא וַדַאי עִדָּן רְעוּתָא, דְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דְּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל (עדן) הוּא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, אָמַר רִבִּי אֲחָא, וַדַאי, לָא (אתחברת) אֲנְגִידָת לָהּ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ שִׁירָתָא, מִגּוֹ שְׁבָחָא דִּילָהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ. עַד דְּאָתֵי צַפְרָא, וְאוֹשִׁיט לָהּ מַלְכָּא חוּטָא דְּחֶסֶד, וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה כְּמָה דְּאַמְרִינָן, (אסתר ה׳:ב׳) וַיּוֹשֶׁט הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר אֶת שַׁרְבִיט הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ וְגוֹ'. וְלָא תֵּימָא דְּלָהּ בִּלְחוֹדָהָא אוֹשִׁיט לָהּ מַלְכָּא דָּא, אֶלָּא לָהּ, וּלְכָל אִינּוּן דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן בָּה. תָּא וְנִתְחַבֵּר כַּחֲדָא. יָתְבוּ.

They then saw a star strike another star three times and put out its light. They heard two voices from different directions, one from the north above and one below, which proclaimed: “Go now in to your places, now the hollow of the abyss is closed and the Holy One, blessed be He, goes into the Garden to have joyous communion with the righteous there”. The voice then died away, and R. Aha and R. Abba turned their heads and said: ‘Verily this is the hour when the Community of Israel arises to join the Holy King. Verily the Community of Israel meets the Holy One, blessed be He, only with song and praise until morning, and the King twines round her a thread of grace, and not round her alone but round all who accompany her. Let us go and join her.’ So they all sat down.