זוהר, ויקרא כ׳Zohar, Vayikra 20

Segment 1א׳

(ויקרא א׳:ג׳) אִם עוֹלָה קָרְבָּנוֹ מִן הַבָּקָר. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, מַאי שְׁנָא מִן הַבָּקָר לְעוֹלָה, וּמִן הַצֹּאן לְעוֹלָה, וּמִן הָעוֹף לְעוֹלָה. אִי כֹּלָּא חַד, בְּגִין מַה שַׁנְיָא דָּא מִן דָּא, דְּהָא מִן כֹּלָּא אִתְעָבִיד חַד מִלָּה. אֶלָּא, מַאן דְּאַדְבַּק יְדֵיהּ לְדָא, מַקְרִיב מִן הַבָּקָר. וְאִי לָא יָכִיל, מִן הַצֹּאן. וְאִי לָא יָכִיל מִן הָעוֹף. דְּהָא כְּתִיב, (ויקרא י״ד:כ״א) וְאִם דַּל הוּא וְאֵין יָדוֹ מַשֶּׂגֶת, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אַטְרַח עָלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ יַתִּיר, בְּמִלָּה דְּלָא יָכִיל.

IF HIS OBLATION BE A BURNT OFFERING FROM THE HERD. R. Jose asked: ‘Why should there be three kinds of burnt-offering-from the herd, from the flock, and from the fowl? Why is not one sufficient? The reason is that if a man can afford he brings an ox, and if he cannot afford an ox he brings a sheep, and if he cannot afford a sheep he brings a fowl; for God does not demand of a man more than he can perform.’

Segment 2ב׳

אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה חַטָּאָה הָכִי הֲוָה מַקְרִיב. עֲתִירָא, דְּזִמְנִין דְּלִבֵּיהּ גַּס בֵּיהּ, הֲוָה מַקְרִיב תּוֹרָא. בְּגִין דְּלִבֵּיהּ חָשִׁיב יַתִּיר לְמֶחֱטֵי קָמֵיהּ מָארֵיהּ. בֵּינוֹנִי, מַקְרִיב מִן הַצֹּאן, בְּגִין דִּרְעוּתֵיהּ לָאו גַּס בֵּיהּ כָּל כַּךְ לְמֶחטֵי. מִסְכְּנָא דְּלִבֵּיהּ לָא גַּס בֵּיהּ, רְעוּתֵיהּ נָמוֹךְ מִכֹּלָּא, מַקְרִיב מֵהַהוּא קָלִיל מִכֹּלָּא. וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן קָרְבְּנֵיהוֹן לְכֻלְּהוּ, כָּל חַד וְחַד בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּאִין דִּינָא כָּל חַד וְחַד בְּמַתְקְלָא יְשָׁרָה.

R. Eleazar said: ‘His offering was to correspond to his sin. A rich man puffed up with his wealth was to bring an ox, because his thoughts were likely to be the most sinful. A man of moderate means brought a sheep because he was not so prone to sin; while a poor man, who was the most timid of all, brought the smallest offering of all. And the offering of each was appraised by God at its true value.’

Segment 3ג׳

רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שָׁאִיל לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּהִי, אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָא תָּנֵינָן דְּעַל תְּלַת חוֹבֵי עָלְמָא רָעָב בָּא לְעוֹלָם, וְכֻלְּהוּ חוֹבֵי לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי אֶלָּא בְּעַתִירֵי, בְּגִין דְּלִבַּיְיהוּ גַּס בְּהוּ, וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּמִסְכְּנֵי, מַה דִּינָא הוּא, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָטִיל לְמִסְכְּנֵי, וְקָאִים לַעֲתִירֵי, דְּהָא מֵהַשְׁתָּא יוֹסִפוּן לְמֶחטֵי קָמֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ יֵאוֹת שָׁאַלְתָּ וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא וְאָמְרוּ, כַּד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִן רַשִּׁיעַיָּא וּלְאוֹבָדָא לְהוּ מִן עָלְמָא, כְּדֵין יָהִיב לְהוּ שָׁלוֹם, ואַשְׁלִים לְהוּ בְּכֹלָּא.

R. Eleazar asked R. Simeon, his father, the following question: ‘We have learnt that famine comes to the world for three sins which are only found among the rich, because they are puffed up with their wealth, but not among the poor; how is it fair, then, that God should slay the poor (by famine) and not the rich, for now they will sin still more?’ He replied: ‘This is a good question, and the Companions have answered as follows. Of all the sons of man, none are so near to the Supreme King as those vessels which He uses, to wit, “a broken and contrite heart” (Ps. 51, 18), “he that is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isa. 57, 15). Now, when there is a famine and the poor are punished and suffer, and they weep and cry before the King, and God draws them nearer than ever, as it is written, “For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted” (Ps. 22, 25), God then visits the sin for which famine has come on the world. Woe, then, to the sinners who have caused this, when the King bestirs himself to take note of the voice of the poor. Heaven protect us from them and their vengeance, for so it is written, “I will surely hear his cry” (Ex. 22, 23), “and my wrath shall wax hot, etc.” (Ibid.)‘