זוהר, תזריע כ״אZohar, Tazria 21

Segment 1א׳

תָּאנֵי, כַּד שָׁאֲרִי חִוְיָא (תקיפא) לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה, מִסְתַּלְּקִין סַמְכִין וּבִנְיָינִין וּמִתְעַבְּרִין, וְאָתֵי חִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא וְאָטִיל זוּהֲמָא, וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתְּכַח מַקְדְּשָׁא מִסְאָב, מַאן מַקְדְּשָׁא. כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר (ויקרא י״ד:ל״ד) וְנָתַתִּי נֶגַע צָרַעַת בְּבֵית אֶרֶץ אֲחוּזָּתְכֶם. וּכְתִיב (בראשית ג׳:א׳) וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל הָאִשָּׁה. אֶל הָאִשָּׁה מַמָּשׁ, דְּאֲתַר מַקְדְּשָׁא אִתְאֲחִיד בְּגַוָּוהּ, וְהַיְינוּ אֶת מִקְדַּשׁ יְיָ' טִמֵּא בְּגִין חוֹבוֹי, מִשּׁוּם דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא חִוְיָא תַּקִּיפָא.

It has been taught: when the serpent begins to be revealed, the supports and the structures are removed and pass away, and the mighty serpent comes and casts filth, and then the sanctuary is found defiled. What is the sanctuary? It is as has been stated: “And I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession” (Lev. 14, 34). And it is written: “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said to the woman” (Gen. 3, 1) — to the woman, literally, since the place of the sanctuary is attached within her. And this is “He has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord,” because of his sins, since the mighty serpent has been revealed.

Segment 2ב׳

מַאן חוֹבוֹי. דָּא לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, דִּבְגִין לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, חִוְיָא אִזְדָּמַן, בֵּין לְעֵילָּא בֵּין לְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר כ״א:ו׳) וַיְשַׁלַּח יְיָ' בָּעָם אֵת הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים. הַשׂוֹרְפִים אוֹ הַשְׂרוּפִים לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא הַשְּׂרָפִים, מַאן שְׂרָפִים. דִּכְתִּיב (תהילים ע״ד:י״ג) רָאשֵׁי תַנִּינִים (תרי, חד אתאחיד לעילא, וחד לתתא) (ס"א תרי, חד אתחזרו לזמנין) וּכְתִיב (ישעיהו ו׳:ב׳) שְׂרָפִים עוֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ, מִמַּעַל לוֹ וַדַּאי, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (איוב א) לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל יְיָ', וּכְדֵין סְגִירוּ בְּכֹלָּא, וְלֵית מַאן דְּפָתַח, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (משלי ל׳:כ׳) כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְגוֹ', מַאי מְנָאָפֶת. מְנָאָפֶת מַמָּשׁ וַדַּאי, אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְאָמְרָה לֹא פָעַלְתִּי אָוְן.

What are his sins? This is evil speech; for because of evil speech the serpent is made ready, both above and below, as it is written: “And the Lord sent the fiery serpents (seraphim) among the people” (Num. 21, 6). It is not written ha-sorfim, ‘those that burn’, nor ha-serufim, ‘those that are burnt’, but ha-seraphim. Who are the seraphim? As it is written: “the heads of the sea-monsters” (Ps. 74, 13). And it is written: “Seraphim stood above Him” (Isa. 6, 2) — “above Him,” assuredly, as it says: “to present themselves before the Lord” (Job 1, 6). And then all is shut up, and there is none who opens. And therefore it is written: “So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats, and wipes her mouth,” etc. (Prov. 30, 20). What is “adulterous”? Adulterous literally, assuredly: “she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says: I have done no wickedness.”

Segment 3ג׳

אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, בִּרְעוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח לְתַתָּא, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח לְעֵילָּא. וּלְעֵילָּא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, אֶלָּא כַּד אִשְׁתְּכַח לְתַתָּא בְּחוֹבֵי עָלְמָא, דְּיַלְפֵינָן דְּכֹלָּא תַּלְיָיא הַאי בְּהַאי, וְהַאי בְּהַאי.

R. Hiya said in the name of R. Isaac: by the desire of all — it is not found below save because it is found above, and above it is not found save when it is found below through the sins of the world; for we learn that all hangs, this upon that and that upon this.