Zohar, Shmini 4:19

1The first 15 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation.AND MOSES SAID UNTO ELEAZAR AND ITHAMAR, LET NOT THE HAIR OF YOUR HEADS GO LOOSE, ETC…. FOR THE ANOINTING OIL OF THE LORD IS UPON YOU. R. Abba said: ‘All joy above derives from the Holy Oil, from which issue gladness and blessings to all the Lamps, and with the stream of which the Supernal Priest is crowned.

Zohar, Terumah 16:3

They flash and lighten of themselves through the lightening and flashing of the Supernal Book;1Malkuth. they lighten and flash towards all the sides which are attached to them, and each sphere retains unto itself a little of this light, for from that sapphire-like radiance every ring in the chain derives its light and radiance. For upon this day (Sabbath) the heavens are crowned and ascend in the power of the Holy Name more than on any other day.

Zohar, Vayera 18:16

R. Abba said: ‘AII men will rise up from the dead and will appear for judgement. Of these it is written, “and some to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence” (Dan. 12, 2). God, however, is the fountain of mercy, and since He punished them in this world and they suffered for their sins, they have no longer to suffer all the punishments of the next world. ‘

Zohar, Vayigash 5:10

This is alluded to in the verse: “Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight” (Job 15, 15). Think not that this verse implies any disparagement of the heavens. On the contrary, its purpose is to indicate their importance and the great love and affection in which God holds them, in that, notwithstanding that He is perfecting them every day, they are not yet deemed in His eyes to have reached the utmost perfection of which they are capable. In His great affection for them it is His delight to irradiate them continually and without ceasing, the world to come radiating day by day bright streams of light in order to make the heavens resplendent. Hence the heavens, pure as they are, in God’s sight are not yet pure.

Zohar, Introduction 14:21

We find in this passage six times the mention of the Lord (tetragrammaton) as well as six verses from “The heavens declare” up to “The Law of the Lord is perfect”. Likewise the first word of the Torah, Bereshith (in the beginning) consists of six letters, and the rest of the first verse, “created God the heaven and-the earth”, also consists of six words. The six verses of our text correspond to the six letters, and the six mentions of the Name correspond to the six words.’

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:188

But “if he get married” (Ibid.), that is to say, if he had a wife but was not blessed with children, he is not thus driven out alone, for the Holy One does not let any creature remain unrewarded. “His wife shall go out with him”: husband and wife both undergo transmigration and unite again as they were before. Such a man does not marry a divorced woman, but the woman who was previously his wife but did not then bear him children, in order that now both may gain merit by making good their deficiency.

Zohar, Introduction 1:1

1This chapter, a preliminary exposition of Gen. 1, serves to introduce the reader to the circle of R. Simeon and his colleagues, and to give him an idea of the scope and nature of their discussions. It is somewhat more discursive and fanciful than the main body of the Zohar. Rabbi Hizkiah opened his discourse with the text: As a lily among thorns, etc. (S.S. 2, 2). ‘What’, he said, ‘does the lily symbolise? It symbolises the Community of Israel. As the lily among thorns is tinged with red and white, so the Community of Israel is visited now with justice and now with mercy; as the lily possesses thirteen leaves, so the Community of Israel is vouchsafed thirteen categories of mercy which surround it on every side. For this reason, the term Elohim (God) mentioned here (in the first verse of Genesis) is separated by thirteen words from the next mention of Elohim, symbolising the thirteen categories of mercy which surround the Community of Israel to protect it.

Zohar, Vayakhel 14:2

As for the Israelites, each one of them becomes the habitation of an additional soul, under the influence of which all sadness and gloom and irritation are forgotten, there being only joy and gladness diffused through both the upper and the lower worlds. In its descent, the additional soul bathes itself in the sweet perfumes of the Garden of Eden, after which it descends and rests upon the holy people. Happy are they when that spirit is stirred within them.

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:121

Whereas holy food which belongs to the world of Masculinity may be eaten only during the day. Therefore “Israel is holiness unto the Lord, the firstfruits (the beginning) of his increase” (Jer. 2, 3): the supernal beginning of the whole sphere of the Masculine is holy, and its further development in holiness is Israel.

Zohar, Emor 8:3

Therefore the High Priest should always present a face bright and shining and more joyful than others, seeing that he symbolizes the higher grade.

Zohar, Bereshit 10:13

The lower beings compounded with this spirit assume shapes which clothe themselves in another vestment, such as the forms of unclean animals, of which the Law says “this shall be unclean to you”, such as the pig and unclean birds, and beasts of that side. The spirit is covered by the name of the body in which it is clothed, and the body is called “flesh of pig”-pig within the flesh which clothes it. Consequently these two groups are sharply separated, one side being embraced under the category “man” and the other under the category “unclean”, and the individuals flock each to its kind and return to their kind.

Zohar, Introduction 12:37

and sometimes they appear to men to perform for them miracles in the manner of angels, as we have just seen the light of the “Sacred Lamp”, without, however, being vouchsafed an insight into the mysteries of Wisdom, so far as we could have wished.’

Zohar, Pinchas 3:4

Note that if one is zealous for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, even though he is not qualified for greatness, he nevertheless obtains it. Phineas at that time was not qualified for greatness, but because he was zealous for the name of his Master he rose to the greatest heights, and all was made right in him1i.e. the souls of Nadab and Abihu entered into him, s. infra., and he was invested with the high priesthood. Hence the word “son” is mentioned in connection with him twice.1The last 52 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.

Zohar, Bereshit 10:4

From that time she has had no light of her own, but derives her light from the sun. At first they were on an equality, but afterwards she diminished herself among all those grades of hers, although she is still head of them; for a woman enjoys no honour save in conjunction with her husband. The “great light” corresponds to Tetragrammaton, and the “lesser light” to Elohim, which is the last of the degrees and the close of the Thought. At first it was inscribed above among the letters of the sacred Name, in the fourth letter thereof, but afterwards it took a lower rank with the name Elohim;

Zohar, Nasso 8:3

So when the Shekinah goes early to the Synagogue she desires ten to be there at the same time so that a completed body should be formed with every member in its place. Those that come later are the mere “adornments of the body”.

Zohar, Noach 1:1

THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH. R. Hiya opened with the text: And thy people are all righteous, they will inherit the land for ever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hands wherein I glory (Is. 60, 21). He said: ‘Happy are the people of Israel, who occupy themselves with the Torah and are familiar with its paths, through following which they will merit the world to come.

Zohar, Noach 1:7

and Noah and the ark together were a symbol of the supernal pattern. And since this covenant above brought forth products, so Noah below also bore generations. Hence it says, “These are the generations of Noah.”

Zohar, Vayera 16:13

This was not the way that Abraham acted. For he first said: “wash your feet”, and then: “and I will fetch a morsel of bread, etc.” Lot, however, first said, “turn aside, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night”, and then he said, AND WASH YOUR FEET AND YE SHALL RISE UP EARLY, AND GO ON YOUR WAY. His object was that the people should not become aware of their presence.

Zohar, Balak 3:2

For when the spirits of men leave this world many are the accusers who stand up against them, and heralds to proclaim the result of the trial, whether good or bad, as it has been taught: Man is sentenced many times in this world, both during his lifetime and after, but God’s mercies are over all and He does not desire to judge men according to their works, as David said: “If thou, KAH, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who should stand?” (Ps. 130, 3).

Zohar, Yitro 15:20

When I afterwards recounted the happenings of that day to R. Simeon, he said: “Surely, that was a wise man! For it is indeed as he said. Mark this! There is no grass or herb that grows in which God’s wisdom is not greatly manifested and which cannot exert great influence in heaven. We may see this from the hyssop. Whenever the Holy One desires that men should purify themselves from defilement, he orders that hyssop be used as a means of purification. Now why is this? In order that the power above which is represented by that herb should be roused to exterminate the spirit of impurity, that the defiled one may be cleansed. And as to thee, I say: Blessed be the Merciful One who delivered thee.”’

Zohar, Bereshit 13:3

When Jacob died, his body was buried in the Holy Land; but when Joseph died, only his bones were buried in the Holy Land. For Moses, no part of his body was buried in the Holy Land. Because Jacob was the first husband of the Queen, but after Jacob died, (the female principle) mated with (the internal aspect of Ze'er Anpin, which is called) Moses. As long as Moses was in this world, he visited her, as was proper. He became the second husband.

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:196

Observe how the Scripture says first, “And he went on frowardly in the way of his heart”, and immediately afterwards, “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also and impart consolations (nihumim) unto him and to his mourners” (Isa. 57, 17, 18). This shows that even when sinners commit sin purposely, walking according to the desires of their own hearts, and heeding not the warnings of others, even for such, when they repent and begin to walk in the way of righteousness, is healing prepared.

Zohar, Bereshit 10:16

The "greater luminary" is the sun, which has twelve openings and twelve hours, as the sun rules over the day. The "lesser luminary" is the moon, which also has twelve openings, the moon rules over the night, which has twelve hours. For this reason, it is written: "On that day Hashem shall be one, and His Name One" (Zecharyah 14:9). "One" is mentioned twice: once for Yud Hei Vav Hei, who is Zeir Anpin, "the greater luminary," and once of His Name, which is the female, "the lesser luminary." The sun together with its twelve openings becomes the thirteen attributes of Mercy. The moon together with its twelve openings also adds up to thirteen. So the sun becomes one and the moon becomes one; then it says, "Hashem shall be one, and His Name One," because the numerical value of echad (one) adds up to thirteen. Thus, the sun and the moon become one and the day and night also become one. This is why it is written: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Gen. 1:5). The secret of this union is only applicable on high.

Zohar, Beshalach 14:11

This tallies with what R. Jesse said, that when the Israelites went into exile to Egypt, fear and trembling came over Jacob, so that God had to say to him: “Fear not to go down to Egypt,’ (Gen. 46, 3). Even then he was still afraid lest they might be exterminated there,

Zohar, Miketz 9:5

R. Judah said: ‘After God created the moon He had her constantly before His eyes (Deut. 11, 12). In regard to this it is also written: “Then did he see it, and declare it (vayesaprah); he established it, yea, and searched it out” (Job 28, 27). “He saw it” means that through His providence the sun is reflected in it. The term vayesaprah we may translate, “he made it like sapphire”.

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:205

Thus his sin was an offence against the Holy One alone. And in what did that offence consist? Not in that he commanded Joab to set Uriah in the forefront of the battle so that he might be killed-for David had a right to do that, as Uriah called Joab “my lord Joab” while in the king’s presence, which was disrespectful (lese-majeste’)-but because he did not kill him then, but let him be killed by the sword of the children of Ammon (Ibid. 5, 24);

Zohar, Miketz 5:23

AND THEY CRIED BEFORE HIM: ABRECH. The term “abrech” signifies the spot where the sun is joined to the moon, towards which all bow down. We read further: AND HE SET HIM OVER ALL , namely, over all the world, so that all the peoples acknowledged his rule.

Zohar, Nasso 4:4

For this reason, the Holy One, blessed be He, although he has sent Rigour into the world, desires that Israel should repent so that He may do good to them in this world and in the world to come. For nothing can withstand the power of repentance.

Zohar, Bereshit 5:1

1The first 27 lines of the English translation do not correspond to the Hebrew text. Line 28 of the English text corresponds to the passage beginning on line 5 of the Hebrew text.AND GOD SAID, LET THERE BE LIGHT; AND THERE WAS LIGHT. From this point we can begin to discover hidden things relating to the creation of the world in detail. For up to this point the Creation has been described in general, and lower down the general description is repeated, so that we have a combination of general-particular-general.2i.e. according to the Rabbinical system of hermeneutics, the ‘general’ (heaven-and-earth) is of the same nature as the ‘particular’ (days), being like them the product of a ‘saying’.

Zohar, Shmini 10:3

All his days David strove that this “offering” should be united with judgement. Solomon came and wedded them together, so that the moon became full and the land was established. Zedekiah came and parted them, and the land was left without judgement, and the moon was impaired and the land was devastated.

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:227

“Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion;.build thou the walls of Jerusalem.” There is a double goodness mentioned here. For from the day whereon the Holy One occupied Himself with the building of the supernal Temple, even until this present time, that.”goodness of His good pleasure” has not rested upon the edifice, and therefore it has not attained to complete perfection; but when this “good pleasure” shall be aroused the Lord will fill the edifice with such an array of lights that even the heavenly angels will not be able to look steadfastly upon it, and then the building, and indeed the whole work of the Holy One, blessed be He, shall be completed.

Zohar, Terumah 10:23

Because of these things the worshipper must concentrate his whole mind upon these thirteen attributes, and be careful not to disturb their sacred unity by conversing between the lines of the hymn. Anyone who should so disturb that unity by secular talk causes a flame to emerge from under the wings of the Cherubim, which cries out with a mighty voice: “Here is a man who has cut short the praise of the Holy One’s majesty! Let him be himself cut short, so that he should not behold the glorious majesty of the Holy King!” as it is written: “And seeth not the majesty of the Lord” (Isa. 26, 10). For those thirteen attributes are the majesty of the Lord.

Zohar, Balak 6:48

The boy replied: ‘It is written, “And God created man in his image… and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply”, etc. (Gen. 1, 27, 28). Shall we say that if the serpent had not had intercourse with Eve there would have been no generations in the world, or if Israel had not sinned with the calf they would have had no posterity? The fact is that had not the serpent had intercourse with Eve, Adam would have produced progeny at once, in accordance with the verse just quoted, and that progeny would have been perfectly pure without any defilement. So here, the Holy Land, into which no alien power can enter, produces straw and chaff, but not from that side, but outside the Land the straw and chaff are from the “other side”, which dogs holiness as a monkey dogs a man.’

Zohar, Vayishlach 6:1

AND HE SAID: LET ME GO, FOR THE DAY BREAKETH, AND HE SAID: I WILL NOT LET THEE GO, EXCEPT THOU BLESS ME. R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Who is she that looketh forth as the dawn, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners ? (S. S. 6, 10). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘refers to Israel, at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise them up and bring them out of captivity. At that time he will first open for them a tiny aperture of light, then another somewhat larger, and so on until He will throw open for them the supernal gates which face on all the four quarters of the world.

Zohar, Vayigash 5:2

R. Jose replied: ‘When night-time arrived, David used to be sitting with the princes of his household dispensing justice and discussing the Torah, and afterwards he slept until midnight, when he would rise, and remain awake, absorbed in the service of his Master, singing songs of praise and hymns.’

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:178

For so has been expounded the verse: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12, 2). “The dust of the earth” is a reference similar to that explained in the Book of Enoch, that the associates saw the letters of which these words are composed, and a voice was heard

Zohar, Miketz 6:7

Further, the statement that the Holy One “formeth the spirit of man within him” indicates that the spirit needs sustenance in the same way as the body,

Zohar, Miketz 9:24

We see, then, that God communicates to each man by means of dreams of the degree and shade of colour conformable to the degree and shade of colour of the man himself.’ The Judean remarked: ‘Assuredly, it is only the good man that is made to see true dreams.

Zohar, Introduction 2:1

IN THE BEGINNING. R. Simeon opened his discourse with the text: The blossoms appeared on the earth, etc. (S. S. 2, 12). ‘“The blossoms”, he said, ‘refer to the work of creation. “Appeared on the earth,’: when? On the third day, as it is written, “And the earth brought forth”: they thus then appeared on the earth. “The time of pruning is come” alludes to the fourth day in which “the pruning of the overbearing” (Is. 25, 5) took place. “And the voice of the turtle” alludes to the fifth day, as it is written, “Let the waters swarm, etc., to produce living creatures”. “Is heard” points to the sixth day, as it is written, “Let us make man” (namely him who was destined to say first “we will do” and then “we will hear”, for the expression in our text, na’aseh, “Let us make man”, finds its echo in the expression “na’aseh (we will do) and hear” (Exod. 24, 7)); “In our land” implies the day of the Sabbath, which is a copy of the “land of the living” (the world to come, the world of souls, the world of consolations).

Zohar, Lech Lecha 1:2

R. Hizkiah says, that it is because they keep themselves far from God; they refuse to draw near to God and therefore they are far from righteousness. And because they are far from righteousness, therefore they are far from peace, and they have no peace, as it is written. “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (Is. 48, 22). The reason is that they are far from righteousness.

Zohar, Vayigash 7:1

THEN JOSEPH COULD NOT REFRAIN HIMSELF BEFORE ALL THEM THAT STOOD BY HIM. R. Hiya discoursed on the text: He hath scattered abroad; he hath given to the needy; his charity endureth for ever (Ps. 112, 9). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that God created the world and set man to be king over all.

Zohar, Toldot 1:10

just as the moon is only illumined when she looks at the sun. Thus the well of existence literally emanates from “the living one” whom “it sees”, and when it looks at him it is filled with living waters.

Zohar, Balak 15:9

Then he should place himself among the saints by recounting his sins in the prayer “hearkening to prayer”, for so the individual should do in order to cling to the right hand which is stretched forth to receive sinners who repent

Zohar, Mishpatim 3:228

The text continues: “Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.” But has He then not built them already? Indeed, did He not begin to raise them at the time when He first began to be occupied with the building of the Temple? And if He has not built the walls, what need to say that He has not built the Temple? However, the Holy One, blessed be He, acts not as men. When human beings built the sanctuary here below, they first built the city walls for protection and then the sanctuary; but the Holy One will first build the Sanctuary and then, when He brings it down from heaven, and sets it in its rightful place, then “He will build the walls of Jerusalem”- the battlements of the Blessed City. Therefore David says first: “Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion”, and then: “Build. thou the walls of Jerusalem.”

Zohar, Introduction 5:2

until these letters Eleh (from the name Elohim) were drawn from above below, and the Mother lent the Daughter her garments and decked her out gracefully with her own adornments. When did she so adorn her? When all the males (of Israel) appeared before her in accordance with the command “all thy males shall appear before the Lord (Adon) God” (Exod. 34, 23). This term Lord (Adon) is similarly used in the passage “Behold the Ark of the covenant of the Lord (Adon) of all the earth” (Jos. 3, 11). Then the letter He (of Mah) departed and her place was taken by Yod (making Mi), and then she decked herself in male garments, harmonizing with “every male in Israel”.

Zohar, Noach 11:3

Come and behold: Noah the righteous warned the people of his generation, but they did not heed him until the Holy One, blessed be He, brought the punishment of Gehenom upon them. What is the punishment Gehenom? It is fire and snow, water and fire; the first is cold, the other boiling. And all of that generation were sentenced to punishment in Gehenom and lost from the world.

Zohar, Vayeilech 3:5

Another explanation of this verse (“From the uttermost part of the earth”, etc.) is that when the Israelites came into the land with the Ark of the holy covenant before them, they heard from one side of the land the sound of joyful praises and the voice of sweet singers who were singing in the land. And this redounded to the praise of Moses, that wherever the ark rested in the land they heard a voice saying, “This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel”. But woe is me that the traitors have dealt treacherously, that Israel are destined to be false to God and to be uprooted from the land, and because their children persist in their falsehood they will be uprooted a second time until their guilt will be expiated in a foreign land.

Zohar, Vaetchanan 8:12

These four does Vau take and crown himself therewith, and these are the phylacteries which the Holy One, blessed be He, puts on. We have learnt that this Vau ascends and assumes his crowns and grasps both sides and is crowned with all, and therefore Vau is the centre of all above and below to display complete Wisdom on all sides.’

Zohar, Yitro 14:6

This was R. Jose’s first interpretation. He then gave a different one, saying: ‘ “Who hath ascended up into heaven?” The Holy One, of whom it says: “God hath ascended with a shout” (Ps. 47, 6). “Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?” The Holy One, “in whose hand is the soul of every living thing” (Job 12, 10). “Who hath bound the waters in a garment?” The Holy One, who “bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds” (Ibid. 26, 8). “Who hath established all the ends of the earth?” The Holy One, of whom it says: “in the day when the Lord God made heaven and earth” (Gen. 2, 4).’ Finally, he affirmed that the words indicate the four knots (elements) of the universe: fire, air, water, earth.

Zohar, Shmini 10:1

The youth then followed, taking as his text: “The king by judgement establisheth the land, but a man of offerings overthroweth it” (Prov. 29, 4). ‘The king here’, he said, ‘is the Holy One, blessed be He. “Judgement” is Jacob, who is the epitome of the patriarchs. “A man of offerings” is Esau, who used to ask questions about offerings, but never bring any. Or again, I can say that ‘offerings” is the negation of judgement, being the elevation of mercy, and therefore “a man of offerings overthroweth it”.

Zohar

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