זוהר, וירא ל״גZohar, Vayera 33

Segment 1א׳

וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנִּנִי. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר (תהלים מה) אַתָּה הוּא מַלְכִּי וְגו'. דָּא הוּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין כְּחֲדָא דָּא בְּדָא.

AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS, THAT GOD DID PROVE ABRAHAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM: ABRAHAM, AND HE SAID: HERE AM I. R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Thou art my King, O God (Ps. 44, 5). ‘This allocution’, he said, ‘signifies the complete union of all grades.’

Segment 2ב׳

צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב, כָּל אִנּוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּעַבְדֵּי שְׁלִיחוּתָא בְּעַלְמָא דְלֶיהוֵי כֻּלְּהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי וְלָא לֶהווֹ מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא, בְּגִין דְּאִית מָארֵי שְׁלִיחָן מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי וּמִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא. אִנּוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי לָא עַבְדֵי שְׁלִיחוּתָא דְדִינָא בְּעַלְמָא כְּלָל.

“Command the salvation of Jacob” (Ibid.), to wit, the emissaries who perform God’s behests in the world, that they may be all from the side of mercy and not from the side of stern justice; since there are messengers from the side of mercy and others from the side of justice. Those belonging to the side of mercy never execute a mission of punishment in the world.

Segment 3ג׳

וְאִי תֵימָא הָא מַלְאָכָא דְּאִתְגְּלֵי לֵיהּ לְבִלְעָם הָא תָּנִינָן שְׁלִיחָא דְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה וְאִתְהַפַּךְ לְדִינָא. לָא. לְעוֹלָם לָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי, אֶלָּא שְׁלִיחָא דְרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה לַאֲגָנָא עֲלַיְיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְמֶהֱוֵי סַנֵּיגוֹרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, וּלְקֳבְלֵיהּ הוּא דִינָא, וְכָךְ אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד אוֹטִיב לְדָא הַהוּא טִיבוּ דִּינָא לְדָא. כָּךְ הָא שְׁלִיחָא דְרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְבִלְעָם אִתְהַפַּךְ לְדִינָא. בְגִין כָּךְ צַוֵּה יְשׁוּעוֹת יַעֲקֹב, אָמַר דָוִד, פַּקִּיד עַל עַלְמָא כַּד יִשְׁתַּלְּחוּן שְׁלִיחָאָה דִּי לֶהֶוְיָן מִסִּטְרָא דְרַחֲמֵי.

It may be asked, how can we reconcile with this the case of the angel who appeared to Balaam, and of whom we have been taught that he was first a messenger of mercy and then was changed into one of severity. In reality the character of his mission was not changed, as he was throughout a messenger of mercy on behalf of Israel, to protect them and plead for them, but this meant punishment to Balaam. For this is the way of the Holy One, that when He confers kindness on one, the same kindness may result in punishment for another. Similarly here, the same messenger who was one of mercy for Israel turned into one of punishment for Balaam. Hence David prayed, “Command the salvation of Jacob”, as much as to say: “When messengers are sent into the world, order such as are of the side of mercy.”