זוהר, תולדות ז׳Zohar, Toldot 7

Section 7 of 19 in Toldot — 5 segments

Segment 1א׳

מַאי טַעְמָא וַיִּתְרוֹצֲּצּוּ. מִשּׁוּם דְּלִבָּא (אתערו) אִתְנְשֵׁי מִנֵּיהּ יִצֶּר הָרָע. וַיִּתְרוֹצֲּצּוּ, (שאלו) וַיִּשְׁלָיוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא אָמַר רַב הוּנָא, וַיִּתְרוֹצֲּצּוּ וַיִּשְּׁבְרוּ, כְּלוֹמַר נִשְׁבַּר כֹּחָם וְחֵילָם. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הַגּוּף מַהוּ אוֹמֵר, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶה אָנֹכִי וְלָמָּה נִבְרֵאתִּי. מִיָּד (בראשית כח) וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרשׁ אֶת ה'.

Why did they struggle? Because the Evil Inclination was abolished from the heart. "Struggled." It should have been written, 'And they were at peace'. Rav Huna explained that "struggled" means that the strength and vigor were broken. Rabbi Yehuda asks, What does the body say then? The body asks, 'If it be so, why am I thus?' and 'Why was I created?' Immediately, "she went to inquire of Hashem" (Gen. 25:22).

Segment 2ב׳

(בראשית כח) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לָהּ שְׁנִי גוֹיִם בְּבִטְנֵךְ וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים וְגו'. אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁנֵי גֵאִים הַכָּבֵד וְהַלֵּב. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, הַמּוֹחַ וְהַלֵּב. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, הַמּוֹחַ אֵין בִּכְלַל זֶה, מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב בְּבִטְנֵךְ, וְהַמּוֹחַ אֵין בַּבֶּטֶן אֶלָּא בָּרֹאשׁ. וּשְׁנֵי לְאוּמִּים מִמֵּעַיִךְ וְגו', וְרַב יַעֲבוֹד צָּעִיר זֶהוּ הַכָּבֵד שֶׁהוּא רַב וְגָדוֹל, וְהוּא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ לִפְנֵי הַלֵּב. דְּאָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הַכָּבֵד קוֹלֵט הַדָּם וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ בּוֹ לִפְנֵי הַלֵּב.

"And Hashem said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples'" (Gen. 25:23). These are the two proud ones, the liver and the heart. Rabbi Yosi said that these are the brain and the heart, but Rabbi Yehuda said, The brain is not included in this, for it is written, "in your womb (lit. 'belly')," and the brain is not in the belly, but in the head. "And two peoples from your bowels and the elder (lit. 'great') shall serve the younger." This is the liver, which is great and big, and which serves the heart, as Rabbi Yehuda said, The liver receives the blood, and serves it to the heart!

Segment 3ג׳

(בראשית כ״ה:כ״ה) וַיֵּצֵּא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי. אָמַר רַב כַּהֲנָא, הַכָּבֵד הוּא הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהוּא אַדְמוֹנִי. לָמָּה הוּא אַדְמוֹנִי, עַל שֶׁבּוֹלֵעַ אֶת הַדָּם תְּחִלָּה. רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזְר אוֹמֵר, לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ רִאשׁוֹן, עַל שֶׁהוּא רִאשׁוֹן לִבְלוֹעַ הַדָּם מִכָּל הַמַּאֲכָל, והוּא רִאשׁוֹן לַדָּם אֲבָל לֹא לַיְצִּירָה. וּבְמַאן נוֹקִים וְרַב יַעֲבוֹד צָּעִיר, עַל שֶׁהוּא רַב וְגָדוֹל בְּשִׁעוּרוֹ מִן הַלֵּב והוּא עוֹבֵד לַלֵּב. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, לָמָּה אֲתָא פָּרְשָׁתָא דָא, אֶלָּא לְאַחֲזָאָה לִבְנֵי עַלְמָא דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּהַהִיא שְׁלֵימוּתָא לֶיהֱוִי בְּאַרְעָא, אָרְחֵיהּ וְטִבְעֵיהּ דְּעַלְמָא לָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי. רִבִּי יִיסָא אָמַר בֹּא וּרְאֵה הַכָּבֵד הוּא הַצָּד צַּיִד וְהוּא צַּיִד בְּפִיו, והַלֵּב הוּא הַחוֹשֵׁב והוּא (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ח) יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית כח) וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד. חוֹשֵׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת, נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן בַּתּוֹרָה.

"And the first came out red" (Gen. 25:21). Rav Kahana explained that the liver is the first and is red. Why is it red? Because it is first to swallow the blood. Rabbi Eliezer asks, Why is it called 'first'? Because it is the first to swallow the blood from all the food; the first in blood but not in creation. And why is it that "the great shall serve the younger?" Because despite its being greater and bigger in size than the heart, it serves the heart. Rabbi Abba then asks, What is the purpose of this text if not to teach the people in the world that though there will be perfection upon earth, the path and nature of the world will not change? Rabbi Yisa said, Come and behold. The liver hunts and has venison in its mouth, while the heart contemplates and is "dwelling in tents" (Ibid. 27). As it is written, "And Jacob cooked pottage" (Ibid. 29), while thinking deep thoughts and occupying himself with the Torah.

Segment 4ד׳

וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד. רִבִּי בָּא בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי אַחָא אָמַר, לְעוֹלָם טִבְעוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אֵינוֹ מִשְׁתַּנֶּה, בֹּא וּרְאֵה, מַה כְּתִיב, וַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר אֲשֶׁר זָדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְתַרְגוּמוֹ דְּחֲשִׁיבוּ. כְּלוֹמַר הַלֵּב חוֹשֶׁב וּמְהַרְהֵר בַּתּוֹרָה בִּיְדִיעַת בּוֹרְאוּ. מָה כְּתִיב, וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה. וְהוּא עֲיֵּיף. הַכָּבֵד שְׁדֶּרֶךְ טִבְעוּ לַצֵּאת וְלָצּוּד צַּיִד בְּפִיו לִבְלוֹעַ וְאֵינוֹ מוֹצֵּא, נִקְרָא עֲיֵּיף. וְהוּא אוֹמֶר לַלֵב, עַד שְׁאַתָּה מְהַרְהֵר בִּדְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בְּדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, הַרְהֵר בַּאֲכִילָה וּבִשְׁתִיָה לְקַיֵּים גוּפְךָ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֵל יַעֲקֹב הֲלְעִיטְנִי נָא מִן הָאָדוֹם הָאָדוֹם הַזְּה, כִּי כֵן דַּרְכִּי לִבְלוֹעַ הַדָּם וּלְשָׁגֵּר לִשְׁאָר הַאֵבָרִים. כִּי עֲיִּיף אָנֹכִי, בְּלָא אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה. וְהַלֵּב אוֹמֶר, תֶּן לִי הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהַמוּבְחַר מִכֹּל מָה שְׁתִבְלָע, תֶּן לִי בְּכוֹרָתְךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:ל״א) מִכְרָה כַיּוֹם אֶת בְּכוֹרָתְךָ לִי, קוֹנְמִיתָא דְּתָאִיבָא. עַד שֶׁהַלֵּב מְהַרְהֵר וְחוֹשֵׁב בַּמַּאֲכָל, בּוֹלֵעַ הַכָּבֵד. דְּאִלְמָלֵי הַהוּא כִּסּוּפָא והִרְהוּרָא דְּלִבָּא בַּמַּאֲכָל, לא יוּכְלוּ הַכָּבֵד וְהָאֵבָרִים לִבְלוֹעַ דְּאָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ הָעֲבָדִים, שֶׁאֵינָם אוֹכְלִים עַד שֶׁהָאָדוֹן אוֹכֵל.

"And Jacob cooked pottage." In the name of Rabbi Acha, Rabbi Ba said that the nature of the world never changes. Come and behold, it is written, "And Jacob cooked pottage (Heb. נָזִיד)," as in the verse "they dealt (Heb. זָדוּ)" (Shemot 18:11), which was translated into Aramaic as "they thought." It means that the heart thinks of and contemplates Torah, which represents the knowledge of its Creator. Thus, it is written, "and Esau came from the field, and he was faint" (Beresheet 25:29). It is the nature of the liver to go out hunting and swallow with its mouth. If it does not find any prey, it becomes tired and says to the heart, 'Before you think of the words of Torah, think of eating and drinking to nourish your body.' This is the meaning of the verse, "and Esau said to Jacob 'Give me to swallow, I pray you, of that red pottage,'" for it is my way to swallow the blood and transmit it to the other parts; "for I am faint," without food and drink. And the heart replies, 'Give me the first and choicest of whatever you swallow, give me your birthright,' this is the meaning of "Sell me this day your birthright" (Ibid. 31). That is, swear by your desire. As the heart contemplates food, the liver swallows. If it were not for the heart, longing and thinking about food, the liver and other organs would not be able to swallow. As Rabbi Yosi said, This is the way of slaves, who do not to eat before their master.

Segment 5ה׳

אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כְּתִיב לְאַחַר כֵּן, (בראשית כ״ה:ל״ד) וְיַעֲקֹב נָתַן לְעֵשָׂו לֶחֶם וּנְזִיד עֲדָשִׁים. מַהוּ עֲדָשִׁים, סְגַלְגַּלִּין כְּגֻלְגַּלְתָּא, וְגַלְגַּלָּא סָבִיב בְּעַלְמָא. כְּלוֹמַר, דְּלָא אִתְנְשֵׁי מֵאָרְחֵיהּ. כָּךְ הוּא בַּר נָשׁ, בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּכָל הַהוּא טִיבוּ וִיקָר וּשְׁלֵימוּתָא לֶיהֱוִי, אָרְחֵיהּ דְּעַלְמָא לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵי לָא יִתְנְשֵׁי.

Rabbi Yosi said, It is later written, "Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils" (Beresheet 25:34). What are these lentils? They are round as a circle, and as the circle which revolves around the world does not deviate from its path, so man in that time will never deviate from his. Although there will yet be all that is good and precious and perfect, with all that, the worldly habit of eating and drinking will not change.

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Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

English: Sefaria Community Translation (CC0)