Chapter 24
Chapter 24 somebodyChayei Sara 24:254-256 (Chapter 24) (Chayei Sara) (Zohar)
Chayei Sara 24:254-256 (Chapter 24) (Chayei Sara) (Zohar) somebodyוַיְבִיאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא. הָאֹהלָה. לְאֹהֶל שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי הָאֹהֱלָה. דַּאֲהַדְּרַת תַּמָּן שְׁכִינְתָּא, בְּגִין דְּכָל זִמְנָא דְשָׂרָה קָיְימָא בְּעָלְמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אַעֲדֵי מִינָהּ, וּשְׁרַגָּא הֲוָה דְלִיקַת מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת וְהֲוָה נָהִיר כָּל אִינוּן יוֹמֵי דְשַׁבַּתָּא, בָּתַר דְּמִיתַת, כָּבְתָה הַהִיא שְׁרַגָּא. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתַת רִבְקָה אֲהַדָּרַת שְׁכִינְתָּא וּשְׁרַגָּא אַדְלִיקַת. שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ, דְּדַמְיָא לְשָׂרָה בְּכָל עוֹבָדָהָא. AND ISAAC BROUGHT HER INTO THE TENT (OF ) SARAH HIS MOTHER. R. Jose remarked: ‘The letter he at the end of the word haohelah (into the tent) is a reference to the Shekinah, which now returned to the tent. For during the whole of Sarah’s life the Shekinah did not depart from it, and a light used to burn there from one Sabbath eve to the other; once lit, it lasted all the days of the week. After her death the light was extinguished, but when Rebekah came the Shekinah returned and the light was rekindled. Thus the verse reads literally: “And he brought her into the tent-Sarah his mother”, the last phrase implying that Rebekah was in all her works a replica of Sarah his mother.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר כְּמָה דְּדִיוּקְנֵיהּ דְּיִצְחָק הֲוָה כְּדִיוּקְנִיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, וְכָל מַאן דְּחָמֵי לְיִצְחָק אָמַר דָּא אַבְרָהָם, וַודַּאי אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק, הָכִי נָמֵי רִבְקָה דִּיוּקְּנָהּ מַמָּשׁ הֲוַת דִּיוּקְנָא דְשָׂרָה, וּבְגִין כָּךְ שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ וַדַּאי. R. Judah said: ‘Just as Isaac was the very image of Abraham, so that whoever looked at Isaac said, “there is Abraham”, and knew at once that “Abraham begat Isaac”, so was Rebekah the very image of Sarah. She was thus, so to say, in the phrase of our text, “Sarah his mother”.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּכֹלָּא הָכִי הוּא, אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, רָזָא אִיהוּ דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּשָׂרָה מִיתַת, דְּיוּקְנָה לָא אַעֲדֵי מִן בֵּיתָא, וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי תַּמָּן מִיּוֹמָא דְמִיתַת עַד דְּאֲתַת רִבְקָה, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאֳלַת רִבְקָה אִתְחֲזִיאַת דִּיוּקְנָא דְשָׂרָה, דִּכְתִיב וַיְבִיאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהלָה וְגו' מִיָּד שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ אִתְחֲזִיאַת תַּמָּן, וְלָא הֲוָה חָמֵי לָהּ בַּר יִצְחָק בִּלְחוֹדוֹי כַּד אָעִיל תַּמָּן, וְעַל דָּא וַיִּנָּחֶם יִצְחָק אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ (ס"א מאי אחרי אמו, אחרי) דְּאִמּוֹ אִתְחֲזִיאַת וְאִזְדַּמְּנָא בְּבֵיתָא, וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב אַחֲרֵי מִיתַת אִמּוֹ, אֶלָּא אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ. R. Eleazar said: ‘All this is truly said. But observe a deeper mystery here. For, verily, although Sarah died, her image did not depart from the house. It was not, however, visible for a time, but as soon as Rebekah came it became visible again, as it is written, “and he brought her into the tent-Sarah his mother”, as much as to say, “and forthwith Sarah his mother made her appearance”. No one, however, saw her save Isaac, and thus we understand the words, “and Isaac was comforted after his mother”, that is, after his mother became visible and was installed in the house again.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר מַאי שְׁנָא דִכְתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּיִצְחָק וַיִּקַּח אֶת רִבְקָה וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ. כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּהוּא רָחִים לָהּ, דְּהָא כָּל בְּנִי עַלְמָא רַחֲמֵי לִנְשַׁיְיהוּ. מַאי שְׁנָא בְּיִצְחָק דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ. R. Simeon said: ‘Why does the Scripture tell us with so much detail that Isaac TOOK REBEKAH, AND SHE BECAME Hl9 WIFE, AND HE LOVED HER ? The last statement seems to be unnecessary, for naturally if she became his wife he loved her, as is the way of all men to love their wives.
אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִרְחִימוּ דִדְכוּרָא לְגַבֵּי אִתְּתָא לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא שְׂמָאלָא דִּכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ב׳:ו׳) שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי. וְחשֶׁךְ וְלַיְלָה כְּחַד אִינוּן, וּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְעַר רְחִימוּ תָּדִיר לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבָא וְאָחִיד בָּהּ, וְעַל דָּא אַף עַל גַּב דְּאַבְרָהָם (ס"א הוה) רָחִים לָהּ לְשָׂרָה לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ אֶלָּא בְּיִצְחָק. וְאִי תֵימָא וַיֶּאֱהַב יַעֲקֹב אֶת רָחֵל, סִטְרָא דְיִצְחָק דְּהֲוָה בֵּיהּ קָעֳבִיד לֵיהּ. The explanation is that the attraction of the male to the female is derived from the left, as we read, “Let his left hand be under my head” (S. S. 2, 6), the left being symbolic of night and darkness; hence although Abraham loved Sarah, the statement “and he loved her” is only mentioned in the case of Isaac (he being of the left). Of Jacob also it is written that he “loved Rachel” (Gen. 29, 18); but here the explanation is that this was due to the side of Isaac which was contained in him.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אַבְרָהָם כַּד חָמָא לְשָׂרָה (ס"א לרבקה) הֲוָה מְחַבֵּק לָהּ וְלָא יַתִּיר, אֲבָל יִצְחָק דְּאִיהוּ בַּעֲלָהּ אָחִיד בָּהּ וְשַׁוֵּי דְּרוֹעֵיהּ תְּחוֹת רֵישָׁהּ דִּכְתִיב שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי. לְבָתַר אֲתָא יַעֲקֹב וְשִׁמֵּשׁ עַרְסָא וְאוֹלִיד תְּרֵיסַר שְׁבָטִין כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. Observe that Abraham, on seeing Sarah, only embraced her, and nothing more, whereas Isaac seized Rebekah and put his arm under her head, as it is written, “Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand embrace me” (S. S. 2, 6). Jacob afterwards had intercourse with his wives and begat twelve tribes.
וְתָא חֲזֵי אֲבָהָן כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזָא חָדָא אֲזְלוּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ שִׁמְשׁוּ בְּאַרְבַּע נָשִׁין כָּל חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ, אַבְרָהָם בְּאַרְבַּע שָׂרָה וְהָגָר וּתְרֵי פִּלַּגְשִׁים. דִּכְתִיב וְלִבְנִי הַפִּלַּגְשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לְאַבְרָהָם, פִּלַּגְשִׁים תְּרֵי הָא אַרְבַּע. Observe, too, that all the patriarchs followed the same course, in that each one of them espoused four women. Abraham had four spouses, besides Sarah and Hagar, two concubines, as is seen from the passage, “but unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had” (Gen. 25, 6).
יִצְחָק בְּרָזָא דְאַרְבַּע דִּסְטִירוּ דְרִבְקָה, דִּכְתִיב וַיִּקַּח אֶת רִבְקָה חַד. וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה תְּרֵי. וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ תְּלַת. וַיִּנָּחֶם יִצְחָק אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ הָא אַרְבַּע. לָקֳבֵל דָּא הֲווּ לְיַעֲקֹב אַרְבַּע נָשִׁין. וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא חָדָא. Isaac had four spouses, in that Rebekah, mystically speaking, combined in herself the virtues of four women. This is indicated in Scripture in the following manner: “And he took Rebekah” alludes to one; “and she became his wife” indicates a second; “and he loved her” indicates a third; “and Isaac was comforted for his mother” makes four. Correspondingly, Jacob had four spouses; and one mystic purpose guided them all.’
רִבִּי חִיָיא אָמַר אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק שִׁמְּשׁוּ כָּל חַד בְּאִתְּתָא חָדָא בְּרָזָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא. אַבְרָהָם בְּשָׂרָה, יִצְחָק בְּרִבְקָה, וְלָקֳבֵל תַּרְוַויְיהוּ הֲוֵי אַרְבַּע נָשִׁין לְיַעֲקֹב בִּתְרֵין חוּלָקִין. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר סְלִיקוּ מִלִּין לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ. דְּהָא כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא קַדִּישָׁא אִתְעֲבַד וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא חָדָא: R. Hiya said: ‘Abraham and Isaac had each one wife for a union of holiness, the one Sarah, the other Rebekah, and Jacob had as many as both together twice over, namely four.’ R’ Simeon said: ‘It practically comes to the same thing, since all was arranged by a divine dispensation to one and the same mystical purpose.’