זוהר, ויקהל א׳Zohar, Vayakhel 1

Segment 1א׳

(שמות ל״ה:א׳) וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, (שמואל א ט״ו:ו׳) וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל הַקֵּנִי לְכוּ סוּרוּ רְדוּ וְגוֹ'. תָּא חֲזֵי, מָה כְּתִיב בַּעֲמָלֵק, (שמואל א ט״ו:ו׳) פָּקַדְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה עֲמָלֵק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכֻלְּהוּ קְרָבִין דְּעָבְדוּ שְׁאָר עַמְמִין לְגַבַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אַקְשֵׁי קַמֵּיהּ, כְּהַאי קְרָבָא דְּעָבַד עֲמָלֵק לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, קְרָבָא דְּעֲמָלֵק הֲוָה בְּכָל סִטְרִין, לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְתָּקַּף חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, ואִתְתָּקַּף לְתַתָּא.

AND MOSES ASSEMBLED ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, ETC. R. Hiya opened here a discourse on the text: “And Saul said unto the Kenites: Go depart”, etc. (I Sam. 15, 6). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that in regard to Amalek it is written: “I remember that which Amalek did to Israel”, etc. (Ibid. 15, 2). What is the reason that none of the wars waged by other nations against Israel was so displeasing to the Almighty as was the war waged against them by Amalek? The reason, assuredly, is that the battle with Amalek was waged on both fronts, both on high and below; for at that time the evil serpent gathered all its forces both above and below.

Segment 2ב׳

מָה חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא כַּמִין עַל פָּרָשַׁת אָרְחִין, אוּף הָכָא נָמֵי עֲמָלֵק, חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא הֲוָה לְגַבַּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּכַמִין לוֹן עַל פָּרָשַׁת אָרְחִין, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמואל א ט״ו:ב׳) אֲשֶׁר שָׂם לוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ בַּעֲלוֹתוֹ מִמִּצְרָיִם. כַּמִין הֲוָה לְעֵילָּא, לְסָאֳבָא מַקְדְּשָׁא. וְכָמִין הֲוָה לְתַתָּא, לְסָאֲבָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. מְנָלָן, דִּכְתִּיב (דברים כ״ה:י״ח) אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ. כְּתִיב הָכָא אֲשֶׁר קָּרְךָ, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (דברים כ״ג:י״א) כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לָא טָהוֹר מִקְרֵה לָיְלָה.

It is the way of a serpent to lie in wait on the cross-roads. So Amalek, the evil serpent of Israel, was lying in wait for them on the cross-roads, as it is written: “how he set himself against him in the way” (Ibid.). He was lying in ambush on high in order to defile the Sanctuary, and below in order to defile Israel. This we deduce from the expression, “how he met thee by the way” (Deut. 25, 18), where the term qar’kha is meant to suggest the kindred term in the passage, “If there be among you any man that is not clean by reason of that which chanceth him (miqre) by night” (Ibid. 23, 11).

Segment 3ג׳

ועַל דָּא בְּבִלְעָם כְּתִיב, (במדבר כ״ג:ד׳) וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם. וַיִּקָּר לִישָׁנָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא נָקַט. וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא כְּתִיב אֱלהִים. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַזְמִין לֵיהּ הַהוּא אֲתָר דִּמְסָאֲבָא, לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא בֵּיהּ, בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּאִיהוּ אִתְדַּבָּק לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא בֵּיהּ. מָה עֲבַד בִּלְעָם. אִיהוּ חָשִׁיב בְּאִינּוּן קָרְבָּנִין לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, מִיַּד זַמִין לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הַהוּא אֲתָר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָא מִסְאֲבוּ לְגַבָּךְ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְחָזֵי לָךְ, וְעַל דָּא וַיִּקָּר אֱלהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם.

3. And regarding this, it is written about Balaam (Numbers 23:4): 'And God happened upon Balaam.' And it happened for a different reason, through the agency of an angel named Dimsaaba, who was appointed for this task. And if you say, 'But it is written "Elohim" (God)," know that the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned him to that place of Dimsaaba, to converse with him, in that specific degree where he would attach himself to Dimsaaba. What did Balaam do? He, being considered among the entities offering sacrifices to ascend on high, immediately made himself available to the Holy One, blessed be He, at that location. Balaam said to Him, 'Here, I have prepared for You an offering, just as You appeared to me.' And because of this, 'And God happened upon Balaam.