זוהר, וירא ה׳Zohar, Vayera 5

Segment 1א׳

רַבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים כ״ד:ג׳) מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר יְיָ וּמִי יָקוּם בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לָא חָמָאן עַל מָה קָיְימֵי בְּעָלְמָא, וְיוֹמִין אָזְלִין וְסָלְקִין וְקָיְימֵי קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל אִנּוּן יוֹמִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא קָיְימֵי בְּהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דְּהָא כֻּלְהוּ אִתְבְּרִיאוּ וְכֻלְהוּ קָיְימֵי לְעֵילָא, וּמְנָלָן דְּאִתְבְּרִיאוּ, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קל״ט:ט״ז) יָמִים יוּצָרוּ.

R. Abba opened a discourse with the verse: Who shalt ascend into the mountain of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? (Ps. 24, 3). ‘Mankind’, he said, ‘little realise on what it is that they are standing whilst in this world’ For the days as they pass ascend and range themselves before the Almighty-namely, all the days of men’s existence in this world. For all these have been created, and they all present themselves on high. That they have been created we know from the words of Scripture, “The days were fashioned” (Ps. 139, 16).

Segment 2ב׳

וְכַד מָטָאן יוֹמִין לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא. כֻּלְהוּ קְרֵיבִין קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (מלכים א ב׳:א׳) וַיִּקְרֵבוּ יְמֵי דָּוִד לָמוּת. (בראשית מ״ז:כ״ט) וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת.

And when the time comes for the days to depart from this world, they all approach the Most High King, as it is written, “And the days of David drew nigh that he should die” (I Kings 2, 1), and again, “And the days of Israel drew nigh that he should die” (Gen. 47, 29).

Segment 3ג׳

בְּגִין דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ אִיהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לָא אַשְׁגַּח וְלָא אִסְתַּכַּל עַל מַה קָאִים, אֶלָּא כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא חָשִׁיב כְּאִלּוּ הוּא אָזִיל בְּרֵקַנְיָיא, דְּהָא כַּד נִשְׁמָתָא נָפְקַת מֵהַאי עָלְמָא לָא יָדְעַת לְאָן אָרְחָא סָלְקִין לָהּ. דְּהָא אוֹרְחָא לְסַלְקָא לְעֵילָא לְאֲתַר דִּנְהִירוּ דְּנִשְׁמָתִין עִלָּאִין נָהֲרִין, לָא אִתְיְהִיב לְכֻלְהוֹן נִשְׁמָתִין, דְּהָא כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִיהוּ אַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, הָכִי אִתְמַשְׁכַת לְבָתַר דְּנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ.

Man, however, whilst in this world, considers not and reflects not what it is he is standing on, and each day as it passes he regards as though it has vanished into nothingness. When the soul departs this world she knows not by what path she will be made to travel; for it is not granted to all souls to ascend by the way that leads to the realm of radiance where the choicest souls shine forth. For it is the path taken by man in this world that determines the path of the soul on her departure.