זוהר, תרומה פ״וZohar, Terumah 86

Segment 4ד׳

אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתָר אִיהוּ אָמַר (תהלים קמה) גָּדוֹל יְיָ', וְהָכָא אָמַר גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנִינוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא. אֶלָּא הָתָם דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר גָּדוֹל יְיָ' וּמְהֻלָל מְאֹד. בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה קָאָמַר. וְהָכָא דִּכְתִּיב גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ בְּדַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה קָאָמַר, דְּאִיהוּ אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ. מָה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא מֵהַאי קְרָא, מוֹנֶה מִסְפָּר לַכֹּכָבִים לְכֻלָּם שֵׁמוֹת יִקְרָא. אִי כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם, יִתְכַּנְּשׁוּן לְמִמְנֵי כֹּכָבַיָא, לָא יַכְלִין לְמִמְנֵי, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (בראשית ט״ו:ה׳) וּסְפוֹר הַכֹּכָבִים אִם תּוּכַל לִסְפּוֹר אוֹתָם. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, מוֹנֶה מִסְפָּר לַכֹּכָבִים לְכֻלָּם שֵׁמוֹת יִקְרָא. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ וְרַב כֹּחַ וְגוֹ'. כְּמָה דְּלֵית מִסְפָּר לְכֹּכְבֵי שְׁמַיָא, בַּר מִנֵּיהּ. אוּף הָכִי אִיהוּ כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וְלִתְבוּנָתוֹ אֵין מִסְפָּר.

Note, however, that in other psalms he says, “Great is TETRAGRAMMATON” (Ps. 145, 3), but here he says, “great is our Lord” (adonenu). Why is this? It is because when he says “Great is TETRAGRAMMATON, and greatly to be praised”, he is referring to the highest grade, while here it is of a lower grade that he speaks: “great is our Lord”, which is parallel to “the Lord (adon) of the whole earth” (Joshua 3, 13). What does it say in the preceding verse? “He counts the number of the stars, he calleth them all by their names” (Ps. 147, 4). If all of mankind since the first man were to come together to count the stars, they would not succeed in numbering them, as it is written: “Look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them” (Gen. 15, 5). But of the Holy One it says: “He counts the number of the stars; he calleth them by their names”. Why is this? Because “Great is our Lord, and of great power; His understanding is without number.”’ As the stars have no number except to Him, so is His understanding “without number” (absolutely).

Segment 5ה׳

תָּא חֲזִי, כְּתִיב (ישעיהו מ׳:כ״ו) הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם וְגוֹ', כֻּלְּהוּ חַיָּילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין וְכֹכָבַיָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק לוֹן בִּשְׁמָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד, וְלָא גָּרַע אֲפִילּוּ חַד. בְּכָל כֹּכָבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי דִּרְקִיעִין כֻּלְּהוּ, אִתְמְנוּן נְגִּידִין וּפְקִידִּין לְשַׁמְּשָׁא עָלְמָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ. וְלֵית לָךְ עִשְׂבָּא זְעִירָא בְּכָל עָלְמָא, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא עָלֵיהּ כֹּכָבָא וּמַזָּלָא בִּרְקִיעָא, וְעַל הַהוּא כֹּכָבָא מְמָנָא חַד, דְּקָא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ קָמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל חַד וְחַד כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ.

Mark this also. It is written: “Who bringeth out their host by numbers; he calleth them all by names” (Isa. 40, 26). The Holy One brings out all the hosts, camps, and stars, each one is called by its own name, and “not one faileth” (Ibid.). Over all these stars and constellations of the firmament there have been set chiefs, leaders, and ministers, whose duty is to serve the world each one according to his appointed station. And not the tiniest grass-blade on earth but has its own appointed star in heaven. Each star, too, has over it a being appointed who ministers before the Holy One as its representative, each according to his order.