זוהר, ויצא כ״דZohar, Vayetzei 24

Section 24 of 43 in Vayetzei — 15 segments

Segment 1א׳

וְאָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל׳:כ״ה) וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה רָחֵל אֶת יוֹסֵף וְגו', מַה חָמָא יַעֲקֹב לְמֵיהַךְ לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ, כָּד אִתְיְלִיד יוֹסֵף, וְעַד לָא אִתְיְלִיד יוֹסֵף לָא בָעָא לְמֵיהַךְ לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ. אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּחָמָא דְאִתְיְלִיד שִׂטְנָא דְעֵשָׂו.

R. Eleazar further cited the verse: AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN RACHEL HAD BORNE JOSEPH, ETC. ‘With the birth of Joseph, Jacob saw that the adversary of Esau had appeared, and he therefore made ready to depart.

Segment 2ב׳

וְתָא חֲזֵי, יוֹסֵף אַשְׁלִים דּוּכְתֵּיהּ בַּתְרֵיהּ וְיוֹסֵף זָכֵי לֵיהּ, דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, וְהָכָא סִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא יַעֲקֹב, דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים גּוּפָא, בָּעָא גּוּפָא לְמֵהַךְ לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ, וְסִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא הוּא בְּרִית. וְעִם כָּל דָּא בִּנְיָמִן אַשְׁלִים חוּשְׁבְּנָא, דְּבֵיהּ אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ תְּרֵיסַר.

Observe further that Joseph gave, as it were, fixity to Jacob, corresponding to the Zaddik in whom the Body ends, and so he merited in particular to be called righteous. So when Jacob saw that the Body was made complete, his body conceived the desire to depart, the completion of the body being the sign of the covenant. But for all that it was Benjamin who completed the number of the twelve tribes.

Segment 3ג׳

וְאִי תֵימָא, וְכִי לָא הֲוָה יָדַע יַעֲקֹב, דְּעַד כְּעָן לָא אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ שִׁבְטִין, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְיְלִיד יוֹסֵף, מַאי טַעְמָא לָא אוֹרִיךְ עַד דְּיִתְיְלִיד בִּנְיָמִין וְיִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ שִׁבְטִין. אֶלָּא, יַעֲקֹב בְּחָכְמְתָא עֲבַד, וּמִלָּה יָדַע. אָמַר, וַדַּאי אִי אִשְׁתַּלִּימוּ הָכָא כֻּלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין, הָא יְדַעְנָא דְּתִקּוּנָא דִּלְעֵילָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וּבְאַרְעָא דָא, לָא לִיבָּעֵי דְּיִשְׁתְּלִימוּ, אֶלָּא בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא.

Why, then, it may be asked, did Jacob, knowing that the number of the tribes was not yet full, not wait for the birth of Benjamin to complete the number? The reason is that Jacob was guided by a further consideration. “It is clear”, he said, “that if the number of the tribes will be completed here, then divine perfection will rest upon them in the appropriate manner; but in this land it is not desirable that they should attain perfection, but only in the Holy Land.”

Segment 4ד׳

תָּא חֲזֵי דְּהָכִי הוּא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין, תִּקּוּנָא דְעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה נִינְהוּ, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְלִיד בִּנְיָמִין, מִיתַת רָחֵל, וְנָטְלָא דוּכְתָּא הַאי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא בְּהוּ. וְעַל דָּא לָא אִתְיְלִיד בִּנְיָמִין, אֶלָּא בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית מ״ח:ז׳) וַאֲנִי בְּבוֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וְתַמָּן מִיתַת רָחֵל וְנָטְלָא דוּכְתָּא, הַאי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, לְאִתְיַשְּׁבָא בְּבֵיתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא, וְכָל זִמְנָא דְרָחֵל קָיְימָא, עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה לָא אִתְתַּקְּנָא בְּהוּ, מִיתַת רָחֵל, נָטְלָא (ד"א ל"ג לעילא) בֵּיתָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ.

The proof that all the twelve tribes together effect the full realisation of the lower world is to be seen in the fact that immediately Benjamin was born Rachel died, and this lower world fell into its proper place, and attained through them perfect realisation. Hence Benjamin had to be born in the Holy Land and not elsewhere. So Scripture says: “And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of Canaan” (Gen. 48, 7). Rachel thus died there, and her place was filled by this lower world, which assumed its rightful place in a completed House. But as long as Rachel was alive the lower world could not be made perfected through them.

Segment 5ה׳

וְאִי תֵימָא, לֵאָה אַמַּאי לָא מִיתַת בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּבֵיתָא בְּעַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה (נ"א עלאה) אִיהוּ, וְכֹלָּא מִנֵּיהּ הֲווּ לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא, וְלָאו מֵעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה (נ"א תתאה), וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא מִיתַת בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא. וְכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּלֵאָה בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא אִינוּן, בְּגִין דְּעַלְמָא עִלָאָה אִיהוּ בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא, וְלָאו בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא אִדְכַּר מִיתָתָהּ דְלֵאָה, כְּמִיתָתָהּ דְּרָחֵל.

If it is asked why Leah did not die at the same time, the answer is that the House was in the lower world, and from it all were to be brought to full self-realisation, but it was not in the upper world. This was the reason that Leah did not die at that time. Moreover, all that concerned Leah is kept under a veil, as she typified the upper world, which is veiled and undisclosed; and this is another reason why Leah’s death is not divulged like that of Rachel.

…and 10 more segments in this section.

Become a premium member

Or start free — a free account opens your first 5 gematria searches in full. Create free account

The daily learning is free on your account, every day.

Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)