זוהר, יתרו י״דZohar, Yitro 14

Section 14 of 35 in Yitro — 14 segments

Segment 1א׳

(שמות י״ט:ג׳) וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלהִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יְיָ' מִן הָהָר וְגוֹ'. וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים, לְאַתְרָא דִּפְרִישָׂן גַּדְפּוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים י״ח:י׳) וַיֵּט שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד וְגוֹ'.

AND MOSES WENT UP UNTO GOD, AND THE LORD CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN. He went to the region where the wings of the Shekinah are outspread, concerning which it is said: “He bowed the heavens and came down” (Ps. 18, 10).

Segment 2ב׳

תָּאנָא אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, כָּל זִמְנָא דִּגְלוּפֵי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה מִתְיַשְּׁרָן בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ, עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּחִידוּ, וְכָל עוֹבָדִין מִתְיַשְּׁרָן בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ. (מאן כל עובדין מתיישרן בקיומייהו) כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמות לה) אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה יְיָ' כִּי נוֹרָא הוּא. מַאי כִּי נוֹרָא הוּא. אָמַר ר' אֶלְעָזָר, שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (דברים י׳:י״ז) הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא. מַאי וְהַנּוֹרָא. דָּא יַעֲקֹב. וּכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ז) וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, גְּבַר שְׁלִים. שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא. כַּךְ כָּל עוֹבָדִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, שְׁלֵימִין בִּשְׁלִימוּ, בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים.

Said R. Judah: ‘As long as the tracings of the Supernal King adhere to their proper places all worlds are impregnated with joy and all creation is upright and stable. Concerning this it is written: “And all the people among whom thou art shall see the work of the Lord that it will be terrible” (Ex. 34, 10).’ What is the meaning of “terrible”? Said R. Eleazar: ‘It signifies the highest perfection of all, as in the expression: “A great, mighty, terrible God” (Deut. 10, 17).

Segment 3ג׳

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי יוֹסִי אוֹמֵר, יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָאִימְנָא קָמֵיהּ דְּר' יְהוּדָה סָבָא, שָׁאִילְנָא לֵיהּ, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית כ״ח:י״ז) וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה נּוֹרָא וְגוֹ'. מַאי קָא חָמָא, דְּקָאָמַר דְּאִיהוּ נּוֹרָא. אָמַר לִי, חָמָא שְׁלִימוּ דִּמְהֵימָנוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּהֲוָה שְׁכִיחַ בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּהַוִי שְׁלֵימוּתָא שְׁכִיחַ, אִקְרֵי נוֹרָא.

We have a boraitha to the same effect. R. Jose once said: ‘One day I stood before R. Judah the ancient. I asked him to explain to me the meaning of the words: “And he (Jacob) was afraid, and said, How terrible is this place!” What did he see there to call it terrible? His answer was: “Jacob saw manifested in that region the consummation of the holy faith, which corresponded to the reality above. And any place where such a consummation is revealed is called ‘terrible’.”

Segment 4ד׳

אֲמֵינָא לֵיהּ, אִי הָכִי, אֲמַאי תַּרְגּוּמוֹ דְּחִילוּ, וְלָא שְׁלִים. אָמַר לִי, לֵית דְּחִילוּ אֶלָּא בְּאֲתָר דְּהַוְי שְׁלֵימוּתָא שְׁכִיחַ, וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּהַוְי שְׁלֵימוּתָא שְׁכִיחַ, אִתְקְרֵי נוֹרָא. דִּכְתִּיב, (תהלים לה) יְראוּ אֶת יְיָ' קְדוֹשָׁיו כִּי אֵין מַחְסוֹר לִירֵאָיו, מִמַּשְׁמַע דְּקָאָמַר כִּי אֵין מַחְסוֹר, בַּאֲתָר דְּלֵית מַחְסוֹר, שְׁלֵימוּתָא שְׁכִיחַ.

I then asked him: “If that is so, why then does the Targum translate the word ‘nora‘ (terrible) with ‘fear’ (d’hilu), and not with ‘complete’ (sh’lim)?” His answer was that there is no true fear and awe except in a place where there is completeness, as it is written “O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no deficiency (mahsor) to them that fear him” (Ps. 34, 10), and in the sphere where there is no deficiency, there is completeness.’

Segment 5ה׳

תָּאנָא (משלי ל׳:ד׳) מִי עָלָה שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד, אָמַר ר' יוֹסִי, דָּא הוּא מֹשֶׁה, דִּכְתִּיב וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלהִים. מִי אָסַף רוּחַ בְּחָפְנָיו, דָּא הוּא אַהֲרֹן. דִּכְתִּיב, (ויקרא ט״ז:י״ב) וּמְלֹא חָפְנָיו קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים דַּקָּה. מִי צָרַר מַיִם בַּשִּׂמְלָה, דָּא אֵלִיָּהוּ. דִּכְתִּיב, (מלכים א י״ז:א׳) אִם יִהְיֶה הַשָּׁנִים הָאֵלֶּה טַל וּמָטָר כִּי אִם לְפִי דְּבָרִי. מִי הֵקִים כָּל אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ, דָּא הוּא אַבְרָהָם. דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ, (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם, אַל תִּקְרֵי בְּהִבָּרְאָם, אֶלָּא בְּאַבְרָהָם.

A boraitha also tells us that R. Jose once expounded the verse: Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? (Prov. 30, 4). ‘It is Moses who ascended up to heaven, as it says: “And Moses went up unto God.” It is Aaron who gathered the wind in his fists, as it says: “His fist full of sweet incense” (Lev. 16, 12). It is Elijah who “hath bound the waters in a garment”, for he said: “There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (I Kings 17, 1). And it is Abraham who “hath established all the ends of the earth”, for it says concerning him: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created (behibar’am)” (Gen. 2, 4), the last word having the same letters as Abraham.’

…and 9 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)