Zohar
3,895 passages indexed from Zohar (The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933) — Page 48 of 78
License: Public Domain
Zohar, Terumah 3:4
As to the words “great is Thy goodness”, these connote the Foundation of the world, as in the verse, “great goodness towardsthe house of Israel” (Isa. 63, 7). This is here said to be “hidden”, because it has been stored away like the primordial light (which is called “good”). The verse continues: “Which Thou has wrought for those who trust in Thee”. Yea, for in this Foundation is the fabrication of the whole, of all the world, of souls and spirits;
Zohar, Noach 5:7
Hence “these are the generations of Noah”-these and not the former ones; these who entered into and emerged from the ark and brought forth generations to people the world; but they are not the generations of Adam, who emerged from the Garden of Eden without bringing any progeny forth from thence.
Zohar, Introduction 12:32
R. Eleazar and R. Abba prostrated themselves before the stranger. Of a sudden they saw him not. They arose and looked on every side, but they saw him not. They sat down and wept and were unable to exchange a word. After a while R. Abba said: ‘It is assuredly true as we have been taught, that whenever the righteous on their journey busy themselves with expositions of the Torah, they are favoured by visits from the other world; for it is clear that it was the venerable Rab Hamnuna who appeared to us from the other world to reveal to us all these things, and now before we could recognize him, he has vanished.’ They arose and tried to drive the asses, but could not make them go, and again tried, but could not. They became frightened and left the animals behind. That spot is called until this day ‘Asses’ place.
Zohar, Vayeshev 5:21
Observe that it has been said before that the desire of the male towards the female forms a soul, and the desire of the female towards the male rises upwards to unite with the soul and form one being. The woman is thus the body which is destined for the association of the soul that is derived from the male.
Zohar, Noach 14:19
We have been taught that the term V-Tetragrammaton (and the Lord), wherever written indicates the Deity presiding over his Court of Justice, whereas the term Elohim (God) is used when the Deity judges alone. Now the destruction of Sodom was limited to one locality, and did not involve the whole world, hence it was decreed in open court, as indicated by the term V-Tetragrammaton (and the Lord); whereas the Flood overwhelmed the whole world, and therefore had to be decreed by the Deity alone, in concealment, as it were; hence the term Elohim.
Zohar, Toldot 2:3
Here a difficulty arises. If we could say that Rebekah was then twenty years old or more, or even thirteen years old, then we could indeed commend her for not imitating the conduct of her surroundings; but since, as previously said, she was only a child of three years, how can we ascribe to her any merit on this account?’ R. Judah said in reply: ‘Though she was but three years old, she had shown her character by what she did for Abraham’s servant.’
Zohar, Beshalach 14:16
R. Eleazar finds this indicated in the above verse: “in his sight” referring to Jacob; “with his power” to Isaac; and “great” indicating Abraham. R. Simeon added that it is always for the sake of the patriarchs that the Lord redeems Israel, as it is written: “And I shall remember my covenant with Jacob, also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham, and the land I shall remember” (Lev. 26, 42); the “land” representing King David, who completes a Chariot with the Patriarchs.
Zohar, Yitro 1:25
“He sent redemption unto His people”, namely, when He redeemed Israel from the Egyptian exile; “He hath commanded His covenant for ever”, that is, when Jethro came and the Holy One received him into His Covenant and brought him near to Himself that he might worship Him. Since then all proselytes have been brought to rest under the wings of the Shekinah, and hereby “holy and awful is His Name”, for the Holy Name is hallowed when the “other side” is subdued and broken, as in the case of Jethro.’
Zohar, Balak 6:15
You being wise men, on whose head certainly the Shekinah rests, why did you not mark what is written, “Thou shalt make bars for the boards of one side… and thou shalt make bars for the boards of the second side”, but there is no mention of a third and fourth side, since the first and the second are the important ones?’
Zohar, Shemot 6:3
the word “King” being here used in its absolute sense. For this King, although supreme, is, in relation to the Highest Point, the most hidden One, feminine, or receptive; but at the same time He is masculine, or active, in relation to the lower King; and this double relationship, to that which is above and that which is below, appertains to the whole supramundane world. It is in this symbolic sense that the angels are here called “his house”.’
Zohar, Terumah 9:4
It may be said, have we not been taught that the messengers of the “other side”, of the spirit of impurity, had by rights no power in the Holy Land, and so if by this means the Israelites were to rouse them, would they not be doing something forbidden?
Zohar, Balak 13:11
One of the questions which the Queen of Sheba asked Solomon was how to take hold of the bone of the serpent of three enchantments.
Zohar, Beshalach 10:37
Observe that when the Community of Israel bestirs itself, there is a stirring among all the legions attached to it, both on high and below, Israel rising above them all. For Israel derive their force from the body of the Tree of Life, and it is for this reason that Israel are attached to that Tree more closely than the idolatrous nations.
Zohar, Vayakhel 1:13
It was for that reason that only Joshua heard that noise but not Moses, for it proceeded from that evil power that impaired the light of the moon. Hence Joshua, who was the replica of the moon, perceived that noise, whereas Moses, who was the replica of the sun, did not perceive it. The light of all Israel was altogether darkened by reason of the evil power that took hold of them. But straightway the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave them their sins.’ AND MOSES ASSEMBLED ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAID UNTO THEM: THESE ARE THE WORDS, ETC. He took this step because the mixed multitude were now removed from them.
Zohar, Introduction 14:4
On that day there assemble in her honour hosts upon hosts, awaiting each one of those who have helped in her adornment on the previous night. As soon as the bride beholds her spouse, “the heavens declare the glory of God”. “The heavens” are the bridegroom, who enters under the bridal canopy. “Declare” (meSaPeRim) signifies that they radiate a brilliance like that of a sapphire, sparkling and scintillating from one end of the world to the other.
Zohar, Vayikra 9:1
IF HIS OBLATION BE A BURNT OFFERLNG. R. Hiya cited here the verse: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, said the Lord” (Isa. 55, 8). ‘The Thought of God’, he said, ‘is the fountain-head of all, and from that Thought spread forth ways and paths in which the Holy Name might be found and fittingly established. From that Thought, too, issued the stream of the Garden of Eden to water all. On that Thought depend all beings above and below, and from that Thought come the Written and the Oral Torahs.
Zohar, Lech Lecha 12:2
When Abram knew God and became perfect in faith, he sought to acquaint himself with all those grades (of wisdom) which are attached to the lower world, and since Egypt derived from the Right, he went down to Egypt. (We remark here that famine comes only when mercy ceases to temper justice.)
Zohar, Vaera 3:10
In the same fashion the South is united with the East on its warm side, and the East with the North in virtue of its moisture. Thus we find united: South-East, North-East, North-West, South-West, and all are contained in one another in mutual intermingling.
Zohar, Tzav 10:7
When the fire of Isaac reaches the altar sparks fly about on every side, and from them many mighty beings are set aflame. And did not the priest stand by the altar and lay in order the wood, the world could not stand before them. From the sparks which issue the backs of those “living creatures” are set aflame (Ezek. 1, 13).
Zohar, Shemot 13:60
until the Sabbath of the Lord arrives to gather souls in the joy of holiness throughout this whole seventh millennium. Then the holy spirits of the people of Israel at the fulness of time will be invested with new, holy bodies, and be called “Saints”: “And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy” (Isa. 3, 4). These are the veiled mysteries.’1The above calculation of the Messianic era rests on the supposition that of the seven millenniums of the present aeon, the seventh is to be considered as the Cosmic Sabbath, the sixth as the time of the Messiah, the fifth as the last (Edomitic or Roman) exile. The beginning of this exile is, according to the Zohar, 3828 years after Creation, hence with those 1200 years of exile the fifth millennium is completed. Sixty-six years later i.e. 5066 years after Creation (1306 C.E.), the signs of Redemption begin. 198 years later, i.e. 5264 after Creation (1504 C.E.), follows the “first resurrection”, the second 144 years later, i.e. 1648 C.E. In the year 2240 the apocalyptic Sabbath begins. Cf. also Zohar, Gen. 116b, Deut. 249a.
Zohar, Vayeshev 6:5
And it is because God holds Israel in affection and draws them near to Himself that all the idolatrous nations hate Israel; for they see themselves kept at a distance whilst Israel are brought near.
Zohar, Bereshit 2:2
The brightness that it sowed for its honor is similar to the purple seed of the silkworm, for the worm encases itself within its own silk. And from that seed, it prepares for itself a chamber for its own glory and for the benefit of all. With this Beginning, the concealed unknown One created the chamber, and this chamber is called by the name 'Elohim.' This is the secret of the words: "In the beginning Elohim created".
Zohar, Lech Lecha 18:7
Then was Abram fully endowed, and he became the lot and the portion of God in real truth. Happy are the righteous who are crowned in God as God in them! Happy in this world and happy in the world to come! Of them it is written, “Thy people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the earth for ever” (Is. 60, 21); and again, “The path of the righteous is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4, 18).
Zohar, Nasso 15:6
But when the priests spread out their hands, which are derived from Hesed (Grace), celestial Grace bestirs itself in response and allies itself to KoH, whereby the latter is sweetened, as it were, and in this way the priests, with shining faces, pronounce the blessing on Israel, so that judgement of Rigour is removed from them. TO THE CHILDREN OF LSRAEL, and not the other nations.
Zohar, Introduction 12:38
R. Abba said: ‘It is written, “And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God” (Judg. 13, 22). Although Manoah was ignorant of the object of the apparition, he nevertheless argued, “Since it is written ‘for man shall not see me and live ‘(Exod. 33, 20), and as we certainly saw Him, we shall therefore die.” And we were privileged to see that light which accompanied us, and we are still alive, because the Holy One, blessed be He, sent it to us in order to reveal to us the mysteries of Wisdom. Happy is our portion!’
Zohar, Vayera 8:10
IT HAD CEASED TO BE WITH SARAH AFTER THE MANNER OF WOMEN: but at that moment she experienced a rejuvenation. Hence her remark AND MY LORD IS OLD, as much as to say that he was unfitted to beget children on account of age.
Zohar, Shemot 12:5
It is written “And the godlings of Egypt shall flee from His presence.” The “godlings” are not merely idols made of stone and wood, but celestial principalities and terrestrial divinities. Indeed, wherever Israel is in exile the Holy One watches them and demands an account from those peoples and their supernal representatives.
Zohar, Mishpatim 3:36
Concerning this it is written: “He guards me like the days of Elohah” (Job. 29, 2). It is also of this mystery that we read here: “To sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath put his garment upon her.” As long as this costly garment of the King adorns her, what power can the evil side have over her?
Zohar, Vayeshev 10:1
How came it that Jacob the perfect man, who loved Joseph above all his sons and knew that all his brethren hated him, sent him to them? The truth is that he harboured no suspicion of them, knowing them to be all righteous; but God brought all this about in order to fulfil the decree pronounced “between the pieces” (Gen. 15, 17).
Zohar, Vaetchanan 12:1
In Solomon's Book: Next to the entrance across from [one of] two levels, there is a demon who has permission to injure; and he stands on the left side. If a person raises his eyes, he sees the secret of the name of his Master and remembers it so that [the demon] can do him no evil. But you may say, "If so, when a person leaves from his home outwards, that demon is on his right and the mezuzah is on his left. So how does a person protect himself if [the mezuzah] is found on his left?"
Zohar, Balak 6:18
They came and kissed him again. R. Judah wept and said: ‘R. Simeon, happy is thy portion, happy is thy generation, since for thy sake even schoolchildren are like lofty and mighty mountains.’ His mother came and said to them: ‘I beg of you, sirs, look not on my son save with a benignant eye.’ They said to her: ‘Happy is thy portion! Thou art a goodly woman, a woman selected from all others, for the Holy One, blessed be He, has selected thy portion and raised thy standard above that of all other women.’
Zohar, Vayakhel 13:7
That name, apart from its simple meaning of “rest”, has an esoteric significance associating that point with the Patriarchs. For the term SH a BB a TH is resolvable into the letter shin, betokening three,1To wit, by the three bars in its shape. and the term B a TH, signifying daughter, the whole indicating that the Sabbath-point, when it rises in its resplendence as an only and beloved daughter, joined to the three Patriarchs, who together with her form a complete unity. We have thus SH in (symbolic of the three Patriarchs), and B a TH (symbolic of the beloved daughter, the Sabbath-point), together forming a unity expressed in SH ab B a TH.
Zohar, Vayishlach 7:3
R. Simeon remarked: ‘Ezekiel the prophet said: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it I fell upon my face, etc.” (Ez. 1, 28). This verse illustrates the difference between the other prophets and Moses, of whom it is written, “And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses” (Deut. 34, 10). For Moses gazed into the clear mirror of prophecy, whereas all the other prophets looked into a hazy mirror. Moses received the divine message standing and with all his senses unimpaired, and he comprehended it fully, as it is written: “even manifestly, and not in dark speeches” (Num. 12, 8); whereas other prophets fell on their faces in a state of exhaustion and did not obtain a perfectly clear message.
Zohar, Shemot 13:32
All through the seven days the Messiah shall be crowned on earth. Where shall this be? “By the way”, to wit, Rachel’s grave, which is on the cross-road. To mother Rachel he will give glad tidings and comfort her, and now she will let herself be comforted, and will rise and kiss him.
Zohar, Lech Lecha 17:5
When both have prepared themselves sufficiently, they are qualified to receive the higher spirit (neshamah), to which the lower spirit (ruah) becomes a throne, and which is undiscoverable, supreme over all.
Zohar, Mishpatim 3:262
Hence it says, “all the oppressed”, as much as to say, “I have considered all those that are oppressed and all the manners of their oppression, and the reason of their being oppressed.”
Zohar, Terumah 4:3
This aparsamon symbolizes the hidden Supernal Palace, whereas apiryon is the Palace below, which has no “stay”1A play on the word semekh, which means both “support” and “the letter S” (Aparsamon =apiryon+the letter samekh). until it obtains it from the upper Palace.
Zohar, Noach 8:5
Only on that occasion did God mourn the destruction of the wicked,
Zohar, Introduction 14:10
“O Lord of the universe, I must repeat my plea. If to Thee it was manifest that Uriah never came in unto her, was it manifest unto David? He ought then to have waited three months. Further, if David was aware that he never came near her, why then did he send an order to him to go home and visit his wife, as it is written, ‘Go down to thy house and wash thy feet’ (II Sam. 11, 8)?”
Zohar, Vaera 5:5
Should the question arise: Is not “the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 1, 7, i.e. the first commandment)? the answer would be that the fear of the Lord (which is connected with the commandments) must precede the second, the particular grade of knowledge, although, of course, one has to fear the Lord even before one has an intellectual knowledge of Him in His revelational individual aspects.
Zohar, Mishpatim 3:222
But this sentence can be taken in two ways. One is based on the saying of the son of the great fish. whose scales reached the highest clouds (i.e. whose wisdom was great), that when David swore he swore by his sword upon which was engraved the Ineffable Name (Tetragrammaton); and thus he swore to Shimei, as it is written: “I sware to him by the Lord (TETRAGRAMMATON)… I will not put thee to death (swearing) by the sword.” But Solomon interpreted it differently. He said: “This man cursed my father with words; he shall die by means of a Word (Tetragrammaton).” And, in fact, he did not kill him with the actual sword, but with the Name. There is still, however, a difficulty, namely, that since David swore to him he ought not to have killed him, and that David said something with his lips which he did not mean in his heart.
Zohar, Miketz 4:16
for instance, the words All things would wear a man out to tell; man cannot utter it, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing (Eccl. 1, 8). Why mention all these three organs? Having said that all things are more than mouth can utter, why add that “eye cannot see nor ear hear sufficiently”? The reason is, I presume, because eyes and ears function involuntarily; whereas the mouth is under a man’s control, and so Koheleth teaches us that all three together cannot exhaust the universe.’
Zohar, Vayakhel 12:8
“A great cloud” indicates the cloud of darkness that darkened the whole world. Observe the difference between this cloud and the other cloud. Of the other cloud it is written: “And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day” (Num. 10, 34), also, “and thy cloud standeth over them” (Ibid. 14, 14), indicating the bright and luminous cloud wherein there are visible all varieties of light. But this cloud is the cloud of utter darkness that prevents any light whatever from penetrating through it.
Zohar, Vayigash 3:5
R. Hiya said: ‘The same effect is produced by the sacrifices, for when a sacrifice is offered up and each section receives its due, then there is a bond of union effected between all, and all faces are illumined.
Zohar, Beshalach 1:10
R. Simeon continued: ‘When the children of Israel went out of Egypt their spirits were broken because of their past sufferings, and there was no energy left in them and no will to participate in the joy, singing and exultation of Moses and Miriam (Ex. 15, 1-21). But when all those celestial hosts and chariots who accompanied the Shekinah on the way from Egypt began to sing and to praise the Lord for His glorious deeds, the Holy One awakened the spirits of the Israelites, putting new life into them
Zohar, Bereshit 17:11
About them, it is written: "Beresheet" which consists of bara sheet (Eng. 'created six'); and Elohim is in the seventh chamber. There are seven chambers below, and seven chambers above. The seven voices that correspond to them, "Ascribe to Hashem" (Tehilim 29), which includes eighteen mentions (of the Four Letter Name). By these mentions, the Holy One, blessed be He, glides through eighteen worlds: "The chariots of Elohim are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands..." (Tehilim 68:18) and there are 180,000 worlds. Many guardians of the gates stand before the chambers to receive the prayers and no prayer enters without being measured and weighed.
Zohar, Nasso 9:3
Observe this. A man walks about in the world thinking that it is his perpetual possession and that he will abide therein from generation to generation. But even while he walks he is being put in chains; while he sits he is being tried in the conclave among the other prisoners. If there be an advocate on his side he is delivered from punishment. So Scripture says: “If there be for him an angel, an intercessor, one among a thousand, to vouch for man’s uprightness; then he is gracious unto him, and saith ‘, etc. (Job 33, 23). Who is his advocate? It is man’s good works that stand by him at the moment of need.
Zohar, Metzora 3:1
R. Eleazar said: ‘When a man is on the point of leaving this world, his soul suffers many chastisements along with his body before they separate. Nor does the soul actually leave him until the Shekinah shows herself to him, and then the soul goes out in joy and love to meet the Shekinah. If he is righteous, he cleaves and attaches himself to her. But if not, then the Shekinah departs, and the soul is left behind, mourning for its separation from the body, like a cat which is driven away from the fire.
Zohar, Beshalach 14:19
How is it’, asked R. Jesse, ‘that after Moses had said to the people, “for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever” (Ibid.), we are now told that “Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore” (v. 30)?’ R. Jose, in answer, pointed out that after all they did not see them alive. This reply did not satisfy R. Jesse, nor R. Abba,
Zohar, Emor 2:1
THERE SHALL NONE DEFILE HIMSELF FOR THE DEAD AMONG HIS PEOPLE. Observe that when a man is on his deathbed and on the point of departing for the other world, three messengers are sent to him, and he sees what other men cannot see in this world. That day is a day of heavenly judgement on which the King demands back his deposit. Happy the man who can restore the deposit just as it was lodged within him; for if it has been defiled with the impurity of the body, what will he say to the owner of the deposit?