זוהר, וישב י״בZohar, Vayeshev 12

Section 12 of 25 in Vayeshev — 11 segments

Segment 1א׳

וְתָא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו, דָּא שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי דְּאִינוּן הֲווּ אַחִין וַדַּאי בְּכֹלָּא, בְּגִין דְּקָא אָתוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ רוּגְזָא דִלְהוֹן, אִיהוּ רוּגְזָא דִּקְטָלָא בְּעַלְמָא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (בראשית מ״ט:ז׳) אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשָׁתָה.

AND THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER (lit. one man to his brother). These are Simeon and Levi, who were truly brothers in all respects, both being descended from the side of rigorous judgement; and hence it was that their anger was the anger that causes death in the world, as it says: “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel” (Ibid. 49, 7).

Segment 2ב׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, רָזָא דְמִלָּה, אִית רוּגְזָא וְאִית רוּגְזָא. אִית רוּגְזָא דְּאִיהוּ מְבָרְכָא מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא, וְאִקְרֵי בָּרוּךְ, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר דִּכְתִיב (בראשית י״ד:י״ט) בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קוֹנִה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וְאִית רוּגְזָא דְּאִיהִי אִתְלַטְיָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר דְּאִקְרֵי אָרוּר. דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ג׳:י״ד) אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִכָּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה. אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז.

For there are two species of anger. There is anger which is blessed on high and below, and is called “blessed” (barukh), as explained in connection with the sentence: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth” (Ibid. 14, 19); and there is anger which is accursed on high and is called “cursed” (arur), and regarding this it is written: “Cursed be thou from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field” (Ibid. 3, 14), as well as “Cursed be their anger for it was fierce.”

Segment 3ג׳

וְעַל רָזָא דָא אִית תְּרֵין טוּרִין דִּכְתִיב, (דברים י״א:כ״ט) וְנָתַתָּ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה עַל הַר גְּרִיזִים וְאֶת הַקְּלָלָה עַל הַר עֵיבָל, לָקֳבֵיל אִלֵּין תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין. וְעַל דָּא, דָּא אִקְרֵי אָרוּר, וְדָא אִקְרֵי בָּרוּךְ. וְשִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא, וּמִן סִטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא תַּקִּיפָא, נָפְקַת רוּגְזָא דְאִתְלַטְיָא.

This is the recondite significance of thc two mounts Gerizim and Ebal set aside for the blessing and the curse (Deut. 11, 29), the two mounts corresponding to these two grades; and hence one is called cursed and the other blessed. Simeon and Levi both belonged to the side of severity, from which side, in its extreme manifestation, issues the anger which is under a curse.

Segment 4ד׳

וְתָּא חֲזֵי, מִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קַשְׁיָא נָפְקֵי רוּגְזָא לִתְרֵי סִטְרִין, חַד דְּאִתְבָּרַךְ, וְחַד דְּאִתְלַטְיָא. חַד בָּרוּךְ וְחַד אָרוּר. כְּגַוְונָא דָא מִסִּטְרָא דְיִצְחָק נָפְקוּ תְּרֵין בְּנִין, חַד מְבוֹרָךְ, וְחַד דְּאִתְלַטְיָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא. דָּא אִתְפָּרַשׁ לְסִטְרֵיהּ, וְדָא אִתְפָּרַשׁ לְסִטְרֵיהּ. דָּא דִּיּוּרֵיהּ בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְדָא דִּיּוּרֵיהּ בְּטוּרָא דְשֵׂעִיר. דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ז) אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה. דָּא אַתְרֵיהּ בְּאֲתַר דְּמִדְבָּרָא וְחָרְבָא וּשְׁמָמָה, וְדָא יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים. וְכֹלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דְאִצְטְרִיךְ.

All anger issues from the side of rigorous judgement, but in two directions, one referred to as blessed, the other as cursed. Similarly, from the side of Isaac there issued two sons, one of whom was blessed and the other cursed on high and below; the two separated, each going off towards his own side, the one making his abode in the Holy Land, the other on Mount Seir, being as he was “a cunning hunter, a man of the field” (Gen. 25, 27). The latter had his home in the desert, in regions of waste and desolation, while the former “dwelt in tents” (Ibid.), all being fitly ordained.

Segment 5ה׳

וּבְגִין כָּךְ תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין אִינוּן, בָּרוּךְ וְאָרוּר, דָּא לְסִטְרֵיהּ וְדָא לְסִטְרֵיהּ. מֵהַאי נָפְקִין כָּל בִּרְכָאן דְּעָלְמִין לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא וְכָל טִיבוּ וְכָל נְהִירוּ וְכָל פּוּרְקָן וְכָל שֵׁזָבוּתָא. וּמֵהַאי נָפְקִין כָּל לְוָוטִין וְכָל חַרְבָּא וְכָל דָּמָא וְכָל שְׁמָמָא וְכָל בִּישִׁין וְכָל מְסָאֲבוּ דְעָלְמָא.

Hence it is that there are two grades, “blessed” and “cursed”, each ranged on its own side. From the one issue all blessings in the upper and the lower worlds, all beneficence, all light, all deliverance, all redemption; whilst the other is the source of all curses, all wars and bloodshed, all desolation and evil, and all defilement.

…and 6 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)