The Zohar · Vayechi
זוהר, ויחי ל״גZohar, Vayechi 33
Section 33 of 86 in Vayechi — 20 segments
Segment 1א׳
וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה, מַאן רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה. דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. אֶלָּא לְדִידֵיהּ כָּרַע וְסָגִיד. (אלא) תָּא חֲזֵי, מִטָּה, דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא. דִּכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ג׳:ז׳) הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה. רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה מַאן הוּא. דָּא יְסוֹדָא דְעַלְמָא, דְּהוּא רִישָׁא דְעַרְסָא קַדִּישָׁא. עַל רֹאשׁ, דָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקָאִים עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה. בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ, יִשְׂרָאֵל לְדִידֵיהּ קָא סָגִיד.
AND ISRAEL BOWED HIMSELF DOWN UPON THE BED’S HEAD. The “bed’s head” is the Shekinah. Said R. Simeon: ‘Not at all. The bed stands for the Shekinah, as in the verse, “Behold, it is the litter of Solomon” (S. S. 3, 7). The “head of the bed” is the Foundation of the World who is the head of the sacred couch; and “that which is upon the head” is (the supernal) Israel who is established at the head of the bed. Hence, Israel bowed down to his appropriate grade.
Segment 2ב׳
וְאִי תֵימָא, הָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא לָא הֲוָה מָרַע, דְּהָא לְבָתַר כְּתִיב, וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר לְיוֹסֵף הִנֵּה אָבִיךָ חוֹלֶה. וּבְשַׁעְתָּא דְּסָגִיד, לָא הֲוָה חוֹלֶה, וְעַל דְּיָדַע דְּהָא בְהַהוּא זִמְנָא, סָלִיק בְּדַרְגָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא כֻּרְסְיָיא שְׁלֵימָתָא, בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ סָגִיד לְהַהוּא רְתִיכָא, כֻּרְסְיָיא עִלָּאָה, שְׁלִימוּ דְאִילָנָא רַבְרְבָא וְתַקִּיף, דְּאִקְרֵי עַל שְׁמֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא, וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה, עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה וַדַּאי, דְּהָא אִסְתַּלַּק לְאַתְרֵיהּ וְאִתְעַטַּר בְּעִטְרוֹי דְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא:
At this time he was not yet ill, as we see from the next verse, but because he knew that at the time he would rise to a supernal holy grade to become a perfect throne, therefore he bowed down to that supernal throne, the completion of the great and mighty tree, which was called by his name, to “Him who is over the Head of the bed”.
Segment 3ג׳
וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה, רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (קהלת ז׳:כ״ג) כָּל זֶה נִסִּיתִי בַחָכְמָה אָמַרְתִּי אֶחְכָּמָה וְהִיא רְחוֹקָה מִמֶּנִּי. הָא תָּנִינָן, שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, יָרִית סִיהֲרָא מִכָּל סִטְרוֹי, וּבְיוֹמוֹי קָיְימָא בִּשְׁלֵמוּתָא, הַהִיא סִיהֲרָא דְּאִתְבָּרְכָא מִכֹּלָּא, וְכַד בָּעָא לְמֵיקַם עַל נִימוּסֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר, אָמַרְתִּי אֶחְכָּמָה וְגו'.
AND HE SAID: SWEAR TO ME. AND HE SWORE TO HIM. AND ISRAEL BOWED HIMSELF DOWN UPON THE BED’S HEAD. R. Hiya discoursed on the verse: “All this I have tried by wisdom; I said: I will get wisdom, but it was far from me” (Eccl. 7, 23). We have learnt that King Solomon inherited the moon from all its sides, and in his days it stood in perfection — that moon which was blessed from all. And when he sought to stand upon the precepts of the Torah, he said: “I said: I will get wisdom,” etc.
Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria
English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)
English: rendered from the Aramaic for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a commentary; the Zohar is learned with a teacher