זוהר, תצוה ט״וZohar, Tetzaveh 15

Segment 1א׳

וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינּוּן בַּחֲמֵיסָר יוֹמִין, כְּדֵין נָטִיל לִבְנוֹי, לְפָרְשָׂא גַּדְפּוֹי עָלַיְיהוּ, וּלְמֵחדֵי עִמְּהוֹן. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם בַּיוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן, (נח ס"ב ע"א) פְּרִי דָּא, אִיהוּ אִילָנָא דְּאִקְרֵי עֵץ פְּרִי, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ פְּרִי. עֵץ הָדָר: כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים צ״ו:ו׳) הוֹד וְהָדָר לְפָנָיו. מַאי טַעְמָא אִקְרֵי הָדָר, וּמַאן אִיהוּ הָדָר. אֶלָּא דָּא צַדִּיק.

And when Israel are on the fifteenth day, then He takes His children, to spread His wings over them and to rejoice with them. And therefore it is written: “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day”. “Fruit”: this is the tree that is called a fruit tree, and fruit is found in it. “A tree of honour”: as it says, “Majesty and honour are before Him” (Ps. 96, 6). What is the reason it is called honour, and what is honour? But this is Zaddik (the Righteous One).

Segment 2ב׳

אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי הָדָר, וְהָא אֲתָר טְמִירָא אִיהוּ דְּלֵית לֵיהּ גִּלּוּיָא, וּצְרִיכָא לְאִתְכַּסְיָיא תָּדִיר, וְלֵית הָדָר אֶלָּא מַאן דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא וְאִתְחַזֵּי. אֶלָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא טְמִירָא, הִדּוּרָא אִיהוּ דְּכָל גּוּפָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח הִדּוּרָא לְגוּפָא, אֶלָּא בֵּיהּ. מַאי טַעֲמָא. מַאן דְּלֵית עִמֵּיהּ הַאי דַּרְגָּא, לֵית בֵּיהּ הִדּוּרָא, לְמֵיעַל בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא. קָלָא לָאו עִמֵּיהּ בִּדְבוּרָא, (ס"א כדכורא) וְהִדּוּרָא (ס"א ודבורא) דְּקָלָא אִתְפְּסַק מִנֵּיהּ. דִּיקְנָא, וְהִדּוּרָא דְּדִיקְנָא לָאו עִמֵּיהּ, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְכַּסְיָיא הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא, כָּל הִדּוּרָא דְּגוּפָא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא. וְאִתְכַּסֵּי וְאִתְגַּלְיָיא. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ עֵץ הָדָר אִיהוּ, עֵץ דְּכָל הִדּוּרָא דְּגוּפָא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא, וְדָא אִיהוּ (בראשית א׳:י״ב) עֵץ עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי.

Why is it called honour? Is it not a hidden place, which has no disclosure and must always be concealed? And there is no honour save in that which is revealed and seen. But although it is a hidden grade, it is the honour of the whole body, and no honour is found for the body save in it. What is the reason? He who has not this grade with him has no honour in him to enter among the sons of men. The voice is not with him in speech, and the honour of the voice is cut off from him; a beard, and the honour of the beard is not with him. And although that grade is hidden, all the honour of the body depends upon it, and it is concealed and revealed. And therefore it is a tree of honour, a tree upon which all the honour of the body depends; and this is “a tree bearing fruit” (Gen. 1, 12).

Segment 3ג׳

כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים, הָכָא אִתְכְּלִילַת אִתְּתָא בְּבַעְלָהּ בְּלָא פִּרוּדָא, כַּפּוֹת תְּמָרִים (ויחי ר"כ) כַּחֲדָא. וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבוֹת, תְּלָתָא. וְעָלִין דִּילֵיהּ, דָּא בְּסִטְרָא דָּא, וְדָא בְּסִטְרָא דָּא, וְחַד דְּשַׁלִּיט עָלַיְיהוּ. וְעַרְבֵי נַחַל, תְּרֵין. דְּלֵית לְהוּ רֵיחָא וְטַעְמָא, כְּשׁוֹקִין בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא. (ובגין כך) לוּלָב נָטִיל כֻּלְּהוּ, כְּחוּטָא דְּשִׁדְרָה קַיָּימָא דְּגוּפָא. וּמַה דְּנָפִיק לְבַר טֶפַח, הָכִי הוּא, בְּגִין לְאַשְׁלְמָא וּלְאַפָּקָא כֹּלָּא, וּלְשַׁמְּשָׁא כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי.

“Branches of palm trees”: here the wife is comprised in her husband without separation — “branches of palm trees”, as one. “And boughs of thick trees”: three. And its leaves, this one on this side and that one on that side, and one that rules over them. “And willows of the brook”: two, which have neither scent nor taste, like the thighs in a man. And therefore the lulab takes them all, like the spinal cord, the support of the body. And that which projects outward a handbreadth — so it is, in order to complete and to bring forth all, and to serve as is fitting.