זוהר, ויצא כ״זZohar, Vayetzei 27

Segment 1א׳

(בראשית ל׳:כ״ב) וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת רָחֵל, דְּהָא בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בָּהּ זְכִירָה. (בראשית כ״א:א׳) וַה' פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה, לָאו מִמַּזָּלָא הֲוָה. וְאִי תֵימָא דְּהָא בְּנִין בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָין וְלָא לְתַתָּא, הָכָא בְּשָׂרָה לָאו בְּמַזָּלָא הֲוָה. אֶלָּא וַה' כְּתִיב, כֹּלָּא כְּחֲדָא.

AND GOD (Elohim) REMEMBERED RACHEL. The name Elohim is used here because Rachel was still dependent upon a “lucky star”, and therefore also the term remembering (zakhar) is used here. Of Sarah, however, it is written that “the Lord visited (paqad) her” (Gen. 21, 1), because she did not depend on a lucky star, and so in her case all forces were combined.

Segment 2ב׳

אִי הָכִי אַמַּאי כְּתִיב פְּקִידָה, אֶלָּא וַדַּאי זְכִירָה, (דא) הֲוַת מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, וְאִתְמָסַר מַפְתְּחָא דָּא לְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (בראשית י״ז:כ״א) וְאֶת בְּרִיתִי אָקִים אֶת יִצְחָק אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד לְךָ שָׂרָה לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה וְגו'. וּלְבָתַר כְּגַוְונָא דָא, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִדְכַּר, בְּרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָא, לְבָתַר אִתְּמָר בְּרָזָא דְנוּקְבָא פְּקִידָה, לְמֶהֱוֵי כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא כְּחֲדָא.

The reason why in her case the term “visiting” (paqad) is used, is that “remembering” had already preceded, and the key to child-birth had already been handed over, as it were, to the lower-world force, God having declared: “But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this time, etc.” (Ibid. 17, 21). Since, then, Isaac had been “remembered” in the higher sphere, he now was noticed within the sphere of the female principle under the process of “visiting”, so as to effect a unity of both forces.

Segment 3ג׳

וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלהִים אֶת רָחֵל. רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שמות ו׳:ה׳) וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם מַעֲבִידִים אֹתָם וָאֶזְכֹּר אֶת בְּרִיתִי. וָאֶזְכֹּר הָא זְכִירָה, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָא. דְּהַאי מַזָּלָא דְּאִיהוּ לְעֵילָא בִּדְכוּרָא, אֲתָא עַל פְּקִידָה דְּאִיהִי בְּגָלוּתָא לְתַתָּא בְנוּקְבָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָא וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת רָחֵל, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וָאֶזְכֹּר אֶת בְּרִיתִי.

R. Hiya here discoursed on the verse: And moreover I have heard thegroaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant (Ex. 6, 5). ‘The expression “remembering” is used here’, he said, ‘because it was a process taking place on high, above the starry course (mazzal), and in virtue of the male principle, coming on top of the process of “visiting”, which operates in exile, here below, in virtue of the female principle. In a similar sense it is written: “And God remembered Rachel”, which has a meaning similar to that of the passage”and I remembered my covenant”.