זוהר, תרומה פ״גZohar, Terumah 83

Segment 1א׳

וְהַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, (נ"א רבי יצחק פתח) כְּתִיב (תהילים כ״ג:א׳) מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד יְיָ' רֹעִי לָא אֶחְסָר. הָא (נ' ע"א) אִתְּמַר, מָה בֵּין מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד, וּבֵין לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר. וְהָכָא, שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדְמָא וְאַתְיָא, וְשָׁרָאת עָלֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא. יְיָ' רֹעִי, וְכִי אֲמַּאי שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדְמָא הָכָא, וְהָא דָּוִד אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַקְדְּמָא (ס"א לאתערא) אִיהוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, הוֹאִיל וּבָעֵי מְזוֹנֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

The verse has already been interpreted in its symbolic significance. It is written: A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Ps. 23, 1). The difference between “a psalm of David” and “of David a psalm” has already been explained. In this psalm the Shekinah came first and rested upon the Psalmist, for, as has already been remarked, “a psalm of David” indicates that the first impulse proceeded from the Shekinah. But in this psalm David prays for nourishment, so that we should have thought the initiative would have come from him.

Segment 2ב׳

אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדְמָא וְאַתְיָא, וְשָׁרָאת עָלֵיהּ, וְאַתְעֲרַת לֵיהּ לְשַׁבְּחָא לְמַלְכָּא שְׁבָחָא דָּא, וּלְמִבָּעֵי מְזוֹנִי מִקָּמֵי מַלְכָּא, דְּהָא הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ עַל מִלָּה דִּמְזוֹנָא דְּבַעְיָא אִיהִי וּרְעוּתָא דִּילָהּ, דְּכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא יִבְעוּן מְזוֹנֵי. בְּגִין דְּכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְנַחְתָּא מְזוֹנֵי לְעָלְמָא, אִיהִי נַטְלָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְעָלָה נַחְתֵּי מְזוֹנִי לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ. וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ אִיהִי אַקְדִּימַת לְמִלָּה דָּא דִּמְזוֹנֵי, וְשָׁרַאת עָלֵיהּ דְּדָוִד.

The fact is that the Shekinah did indeed first urge David to sing this hymn to the King, to pray to Him for nourishment for Her, which She needs in order to supply food to the whole world; and it is her will that all mankind should pray for food, for when the Holy One wishes to send down to the world nourishment, She first receives it, She being the organ by which the whole world is sustained. Therefore, indeed, did She precede David in this psalm, and She rested upon him to inspire him in this prayer for food.

Segment 3ג׳

יְיָ' רֹעִי, יְיָ' רַעְיָא דִּילִי, כְּהַאי רַעְיָא דְּמַדְבַּר עָאנָא דִּילֵיהּ בְּאֲתָר דִּדְּשָׁאִין וַעֲשָׂבִין, דְּלָא מִחְסַר בֵּיהּ כָּל מִדְּעַם. אוּף הָכִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הוּא אִיהוּ רַעְיָא דִּילִי, לְמֵיזָן לִי בְּכָל מָה דַּאֲנָא אִצְטְרִיךְ. דָּבָר אַחֵר יְיָ' רֹעִי, תָּנֵינָן, דְּקָשִׁין מְזוֹנוֹתָיו דְּבַּר נָשׁ קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כִּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף. הָכָא תְּרֵין גַּוְונִין אִינּוּן, וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט.

“The Lord is my shepherd”: as a shepherd leads his flock to those places where there is grass in abundance, in order to provide them with whatever they need, so does the Holy One also unto Me. Here is another interpretation. There is an ancient dictum that “to provide food for humanity costs the Holy One, blessed be He, as great a struggle as it did to divide the Red Sea”. Here are two statements, both of deep significance.