זוהר, וירא י״חZohar, Vayera 18

Section 18 of 36 in Vayera — 37 segments

Segment 1א׳

וַיְיָ הִמְטִיר עַל סְדוֹם וְעַל עֲמוֹרָה וְגו'. רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח (ישעיהו י״ג:ט׳) הִנֵּה יוֹם יְיָ בָּא אַכְזָרִי וְגו'. הִנִּה יוֹם יְיָ בָּא, דָּא בֵּי דִינָא לְתַתָּא. בָּא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר. (קו א) הַבָּאָה אֵלַי (עשו). בְּגִין דְּלָא עֲבִיד דִּינָא עַד דְעָאל וְנָטִיל רְשׁוּ, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי.

THEN THE LORD CAUSED TO RAIN UPON SODOM AND UPON GOMORRAH, ETC. R. Hiya opened his discourse on this with the verse: Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel, etc. (Is. 13, 9). He said: ‘The words “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh” refer to the lower Court. The term “cometh” has thus the same force as in the passage, “according to her cry which is come upon me”, both implying that the lower power cannot execute judgement until it comes and appears on high and receives authorisation. So, too, in the verse, “the end of all flesh is come before me”.’

Segment 2ב׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר הִנֵּה יוֹם יְיָ בָּא. דָּא הוּא מְחַבְּלָא לְתַתָּא כַּד נָטִיל נִשְׁמָתָא, בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ אַכְזָרִי וְעֶבְרָה. לָשׂוּם הָאָרֶץ לְשַׁמָּה, דָּא סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה. וְחַטָּאֶיהָ יַשְׁמִיד מִמֶּנָּהּ. אִלֵּין יַתְבֵי אַרְעָא.

According to another interpretation, “behold the day of the Lord cometh” refers to the destroying angel here below when he comes to take the soul of man. Hence “cruel, and full of wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation”, referring to Sodom and Gomorrah; “and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it” (Ibid.), referring to the inhabitants of those cities.

Segment 3ג׳

מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ כִּי כּוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּכְסִילֵיהֶם וְגו'. דְּהָא מִן שְׁמַיָא אַמְטָר עֲלֵיהוֹן אֶשָׁא, וְאַעֲבַר לוֹן מִן עָלְמָא. לְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב אוֹקִיר אֱנוֹשׁ מִפָּז וְגו'. דָּא אַבְרָהָם דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָלִיק לֵיהּ עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא.

Immediately after we read, “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof, etc.”, for He caused to rain upon them fire from heaven and exterminated them. Further on it is written: “I will make man more rare than fine gold, etc.” (Ibid. 12), referring to Abraham, whom the Holy One exalted over all the peoples of the world.’

Segment 4ד׳

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹקִים לוֹן לְהַנֵּי קְרָאֵי בְּיוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, דִּבְהַהוּא יוֹמָא אִתְחַשְׁכוּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וְאִתְחַשְׁכָן שְׁמַיָא וְכוֹכְבַיָא. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מוֹקִים לְהַנֵּי קְרָאֵי בְּיוֹמָא דְּיוֹקִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִכְנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַפְרָא, וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא יִתְיְדַע לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, דִּכְתִיב, (זכריה י״ד:ז׳) וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַיְיָ. וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא יוֹמָא דְּנוֹקְמָא אִיהוּ, דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנָקְמָא מִשְּׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת.

R. Judah interpreted these verses as referring to the day on which the Temple was destroyed, as on that day both men and angels were plunged into gloom and the supernal and the lower realms and the heaven and the stars were darkened. R. Eleazar, again, interpreted these verses as referring to the day when the Holy One will raise the community of Israel from the dust. That day will be a day of note both above and below, as it is written, “and there shall be one day, which shall be known as the Lord’s” (Zech. 14, 7); that day will be the day of vengeance, the day which the Holy One, blessed be He, has appointed for taking vengeance on the idolatrous nations.

Segment 5ה׳

וְכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַעֲבִיד נוּקְמִין בִּשְׁאָר עַמִין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, כְּדֵין אוֹקִיר אֱנוֹשׁ מִּפָּז דָּא מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא דְּיִסְתָּלַּק וְיִתְיָיקַר עַל כָּל בְּנִי עָלְמָא, וְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא יִפְלְחוּן וְיִסְגְּדוּן קַמֵּיהּ דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ע״ב:ט׳) לְפָנָיו יִכְרְעוּ צִיִּים וְגו' מַלְכֵי תַרְשִׁישׁ וְגו'.

For whilst the Holy One is taking vengeance on the idolatrous nations, He “will make a man more precious than gold”, to wit, the Messiah, who will be raised and glorified above all mankind, and to whom all mankind will pay homage and bow down, as it is written, “Before him those that dwell in the wilderness will bow down… the Kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render tribute” (Ps. 72, 9-10).

…and 32 more segments in this section.

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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