זוהר, תצוה י׳Zohar, Tetzaveh 10

Segment 1א׳

פָּתַח הַהוּא סָבָא וְאָמַר, (דברים א׳:ל״א) וּבַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאֲךָ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, וּבַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאֲךָ, מַהוּ רָאִיתָ. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּבַר לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַדְבְּרָא, מַדְבְּרָא תַּקִּיפָא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ח׳:ט״ו) נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף וְעַקְרָב וְגוֹ'. וּמַדְבְּרָא דְּאִיהוּ תַּקִּיף מִשְּׁאַר מַדְבְרִין בְּעָלְמָא. מַאי טַעֲמָא.

Then he began to speak as follows: ‘It is written: “And in the wilderness where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee as a man doth bear his son in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place” (Deut. 1, 31). This verse ought surely to run: “And in the wilderness where the Lord thy God bare thee”; what is the significance of the words “where thou hast seen”? The answer is as follows. The Holy One led Israel tnrough a terrible wilderness “wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions” (Ibid. 8, 15); indeed, the most fearful wilderness in the world. Why did He do this?

Segment 2ב׳

בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם וְאִשְׁתְּלִימוּ לְשִׁתִּין רִבְּבָן, אִתְתָּקַּף מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִסְתַּלָּק עַל כֹּלָּא, וְסִיהֲרָא אִתְנְהִירַת וּכְדֵין אִתְכַּפְיָא מַלְכוּ חַיָּיבָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְאַפִּיק לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵיהַךְ בְּמַדְבְּרָא תַּקִּיפָא. דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר וְשֻלְטָנוּ דְּסָמָאֵ"ל חַיָּיבָא, דְּאִיהוּ דִּילֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ, בְּגִין לְתַּבְרָא תּוּקְפֵּיהּ וְחֵילֵיהּ, וּלְכַתְּתָא רֵישֵׁיהּ, (ס"א ולאחתא ליה) וּלְאַכְפְּיָא לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט. וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּחָאבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַעְבְּרָא לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא, וְעַל דָּא אַעְבַּר לוֹן בְּאַחֲסַנְתֵּיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ וְחוּלָקֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ.

Because in the hour when they left Egypt and increased to the number of sixty myriad souls, the Holy Kingdom was strengthened and stood firm, high above all, and the Moon was illumined, and thus the wicked dominion, the “other side”, was subdued, and the Holy One brought the Israelites out in order to lead them through the terrible wilderness, the very realm and domain of Samael the wicked, in order that the evil power might be broken and the ruler of the regions of darkness be crushed, that it might rear its head no more. Had the Israelites not sinned, the Holy One would have resolved to remove him altogether from the world. Therefore He led them through his very dominion and territory.

Segment 3ג׳

כֵּיוָן דְּחָאבוּ בְּכַמָּה זִמְנִין, נָשִׁיךְ לוֹן חִוְיָא, וּכְדֵין אִתְקְיָּים (בראשית ג׳:ט״ו) הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְגוֹ'. יִשְׂרָאֵל מָחוּ רֵישֵׁיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְלָא יַדְעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִינֵּיהּ, וּלְבָתַר אִיהוּ מָחָא בְּבַתְרַיְיתָּא, וְנָפְלוּ כֻּלְּהוּ בְּמַדְבְּרָא, וְאִתְקָיָּים וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב. וְאַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין לָקוּ מִנֵּיהּ, לָקֳבֵל מ' מַלְקוּת דְּבֵי דִּינָא.

But when they sinned the serpent stung them many a time, and then was fulfilled that which was written: “He shall bruise thy head (rosh) and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3, 15)- that is to say, Israel first (be-rosh) bruised his head, but because later they knew not how to guard themselves against him he finally smote them and they all fell dead in the wilderness, and then the other half of the verse was fulfilled: “and thou (i.e. the serpent) shalt bruise his heel”. And forty years long were they chastised by him, which corresponded to the forty lashes of the judges.