Chapter 26
Chapter 26 somebodyShemot 26:249-250 (Chapter 26) (Shemot) (Zohar)
Shemot 26:249-250 (Chapter 26) (Shemot) (Zohar) somebodyעַד דַּהֲווֹ יַתְבֵי, אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּי, מֶה חָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְנַחְתָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְמִצְרַיִם בְּגָלוּתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֲדָא שְׁאֵלְתָּא אַתְּ שָׁאִיל, אוֹ תְּרֵין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ תְּרֵין. גָּלוּתָא לָמָּה. וּלְמִצְרַיִם לְמָּה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ תְּרֵין אִינּוּן וְאִתְחָזְּרוּ לְחַד. אֲמַר לֵיהּ קוּם בְּקִיּוּמָךְ בְּגִינָךְ יִתְקְיָים לְעֵילָּא, מִשְּׁמָךְ הַאי מִלָּה, אֵימָא בְּרִי אֵימָא. As they sat thus, R. Eleazar asked his father, R. Simeon: ‘For what purpose, and to what end, did the Holy One, blessed be He, allow Israel to go down to Egypt to be in exile there?’ His father replied: ‘Dost thou ask one question or two?’ ‘Two,’ said R. Eleazar, ‘why to Egypt, and why in exile?’ Said R. Simeon: ‘Stand up and take courage! In thy name shall this word be established above. Speak, my son, speak!’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר (שיר השירים ו׳:ח׳) שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת וּשְׁמוֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים. שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת, אִינּוּן גַּבְרַיָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא מֵחֵילָא דִּגְבוּרָא דְּאִתְאַחֲדָן בְּקַלִיפִין (נ"א בגליפין), דְּחֵיוָתָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וּשְׁמוֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים, מְמָנָן בִּגְלִיפוֹי דִּתְחוֹתוֹי. וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (איוב כ״ה:ג׳) הֲיֵשׁ מִסְפָּר לִגְדוּדָיו. וְעִם כָּל דָּא כְּתִיב, (שיר השירים ו׳:ט׳) אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָתִי אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ, דָּא הִיא שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא דְּנָפְקָא מַתְרִיסִין (נ"א מתריסר) זִיהֲרָא, דְּזִהֲרָא דְּנָהִיר לְכֹלָּא, וְאִיהִי אִתְקְרֵי אִמָא. Then R. Eleazar opened his mouth and said: ‘ “Threescore queens are they, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number” (S.S. 6, 8). The “threescore queens” are allegorical of the celestial heroic angels that are of the host of Geburah, and that attach themselves to the “shells” (k’lifoth, i.e. baser elements) of the holy congregation of Israel. The “fourscore concubines” signify the lower “klifoth” that have dominion in this world, and whose power is to the higher powers as one to a hundred. The “virgins without number” are those angelic hosts of whom it is said, “Is there a number to his bands?” (Job. 25, 3). And yet “My dove, my undefiled, is but one, she is the only one of her mother” (S.S. 6, 9), the Holy Shekinah, who proceeds from the twelve flashes of the radiance which illumines all things, and is called “Mother”.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא, זָרִיק לְכָל עַמִּין לְכָל עִיבָר, וּמָנֵי עֲלֵיהֶן רַבְרְבֵי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים ד׳:י״ט) אֲשֶׁר חָלַק ה' אֱלהֶיךָ אוֹתָם לְכֹל הָעַמִּים, וְהוּא נָסִיב לְחוּלָקֵיהּ כְּנִישְׁתָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ל״ב:ט׳) כִּי חֵלֶק ה' עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ. וְקָרָא לָהּ אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ, דָּא הִיא שְׁכִינַת יְקָרֵיהּ, דְּאַשְׁרֵי בֵּינֵיהוֹן, אַחַת הִיא וּמְיוּחֶדֶת לֵיהּ. רָאוּהָ בָנוֹת וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (משלי ל״א:כ״ט) רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוֹּ חָיִל וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל כֻּלָּנָה. מְלָכוֹת וּפִילַגְשִׁים וַיְהַלְּלוּהָ, אִלֵּין רַבְרְבֵי עַמִּין דְּאִתְפָּקְדָן עָלַיְיהוּ. And the Holy One, blessed be He, dealt according to this principle with the earth: He scattered the nations abroad in separation and appointed supernal chiefs over them, as it is written, “which the Lord hath imparted to all the nations under heaven” (Deut. 6, 19). But He took unto Himself the congregation of Israel to be His own portion and His own choice, as it is written, “For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance” (Ibid. 32, 9). Thus it is clear that Israel is directly under God and none other; and He says of her: “My dove, my undefiled, is but one, she is the only one of her Mother.” She is the only one of her Mother Shekinah who dwells in her midst. “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all” (Prov. 31, 29).’
וְעוֹד רָזָא דְּמִלָּה הִיא דִּתְּנַן בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, וְכַד תִּסְתָּכַּל תְּלָתָא אִינּוּן, וְעָלְמָא בְּהוּ אִתְבְּרִי, (שמות ל״א:ג׳) בְּחָכְמָה וּבִתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת, וְעָלְמָא לָא אִתְבְּרֵי אֶלָּא בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד בָּעָא לְקַיְּימָא עָלְמָא, עָבֵד לְאַבְרָהָם בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמָה. לְיִצְחָק, בְּרָזָא דִּתְבוּנָה. לְיַעֲקֹב בְּרָזָא דְדַעַת. וּבְהַאי אִתְקְרֵי, (משלי כ״ד:ד׳) וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ. וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִשְׁתַּכְלַּל כָּל עָלְמָא. וּמִדְּאִתְיְלִידוּ לְיַעֲקֹב תְּרֵיסַר שְׁבָטִין, אִשְׁתָּכְלַּל כֹּלָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. There is a further esoteric meaning in this verse. We are told: “With ten Sayings the world was created” (Pirke Ab. 5, 1). Yet, on examination they prove to be only three, viz. Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge. The world was created only for the sake of Israel. When the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to endow the earth with permanence, He formed Abraham in the mystery of Wisdom, Isaac in the mystery of Understanding, and Jacob in the mystery of Perception, that is to say, of Knowledge. Therefore it is said: “With wisdom is the house built, and by understanding it is established, and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled…” (Prov. 24, 4-5). At that hour the whole world came into perfection; and when the twelve Tribes were born to Jacob, all things came to completion according to the supernal pattern ordained from the beginning.
כַּד חָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֶדָוָותָא סַגִּיאָה דְהַאי עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, דְּאִשְׁתַּכְלַּל כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, אָמַר, דִּילְמָא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם יִתְעָרְבוּן בִּשְׁאַר עַמָמִין, וְיִשְׁתְּאַר פְּגִימוּתָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין. מַה עָבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, טִלְטֵל לְכֻלְּהוּ מֵהָכָא לְהָכָא, עַד דְּנַחְתּוּ לְמִצְרַיִם, לְמֵידָר דִּיּוּרֵיהוֹן בְּעַם קְשֵׁי קְדָל, דִּמְבַזִּין נִמּוּסֵיהוֹן, וּמְבַזִּין לְהוֹן לְאִתְחַתְּנָא בְּהוּ, וּלְאִתְעָרְבָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וַחֲשִׁיבוּ לְהוֹן עַבְדִין. גּוּבְרִין גָּעֲלָן בְּהוֹן, נוּקְבְתָא גָּעֲלָן בְּהוֹן עַד דְּאִשְׁתַּכְלָּל כֹּלָּא בְזַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּבֵין כַּךְ וּבֵין כַּךְ שְׁלִים חוֹבָא דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ט״ו:ט״ז) כִּי לא שָׁלֵם עֲוֹן הָאֱמוֹרִי עַד הֵנָּה. וְכַד נָפְקוּ, נָפְקוּ זַכָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים קכ״ב:ד׳) שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אָתָא ר' שִׁמְעוֹן וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ בְּרִישֵׁיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ קָאִים בְּרִי בְּקִיּוּמָךְ, דְּשַׁעְתָּא קַיְּימָא לָךְ. When the Holy One beheld the exceeding joy of this lower world at being completed after the fashion of the world above, He said: “Should they (the Israelites) mingle with the other nations, a blemish would be caused in all the worlds”. What, then, did He do? He caused them to wander over the face of the earth and from one nation to another until, in Egypt, they fell among those of a stubborn race, who, deeming them but slaves, despised their customs and abhorred their ways, and would not mingle with them or have a part in them. Both male and female among the Egyptians loathed them, and thus the whole Divine purpose could come into completion within the holy seed itself, whilst at the same time the guilt of the other nations became complete, as it is written: “In the fourth generation they (the children of Abraham) shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Gen. 15, 16). And when the Israelites came out of the bondage of Egypt, they came out as beings pure and holy, as it says: “The tribes of the Lord, the testimony of Israel” (Ps. 122, 4).’ Then R. Simeon approached his son, and kissing him he said: ‘Remain, my son, standing at thy place, for the hour favours thee.’