Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

the zohar [1:1a]
suspended until the name of Abraham was created. 134
O (YHVH Elohim) made earth and heaven (Genesis 2:4).'' 135
Ḥiyya prostrated himself on the ground, kissing the dust and weeping.
Rabbi
He cried out, ``Dust, dust, how stubborn you are, how impudent! All
of the eye decay in you. All pillars of light in the world you consume
delights
pulverize. How insolent you are! The Holy Lamp 136 who has illumined the
and
majestic ruler, prince whose merit sustains the world, decays in you. O
world,
Shim'on, radiance of the lamp, radiance of the worlds, you decompose
Rabbi
The pillars of the world will not be surrendered to you. Rabbi Shim'on
boast!
not decayed in you!'' 138
has
weeping, Rabbi Ḥiyya rose and walked on together with Rabbi Yose.
Still
that day on, he fasted forty days to envision Rabbi Shim'on. 139 He was
From
until the name of Abraham . . . See
134.
remark by Rabbi Yehoshu'a son of Kor-
the
In rabbinic literature these two
Elohim).
represent, respectively, the divine
names
of compassion and justice.
qualities
Sifrei, Deuteronomy 26; Bereshit Rab-
See
12:15; 33:3; and 13:3, where YHVH Elohim is
bah
``a complete name.'' Cf. Zohar 1:20a,
called
2:161a, 229a; 3:138b (IR); ZḤ 70d (ShS).
48b;
Holy Lamp Rabbi Shim'on, who
136.
recently died; see above, note 124. On
had
following passage see Wineman, Mystic
the
from the Zohar, 19±32.
Tales
yet you subsist . . . The soul of Rab-
137.
Shim'on endures in the Garden of Eden,
bi
his spiritual power still guides the
and
world.
has not decayed . . . The bodies of
138.
righteous do not decay. See BT Bava
the
84b, concerning Rabbi El'azar son
Metsi'a
Lakish (according to another version:
``Resh
Yehoshu'a son of Levi) was longing to
Rabbi
Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabbah [in a dream]. He
see
told, `You are not worthy.' `Why?' he
was
`Didn't I study Torah as he did?'
asked.
replied, `You did not teach Torah as
They
did; and not only that, he exiled himself
he
for the sake of Torah].' He said
[wandering
them, `Didn't I exile myself?' They replied,
to
`You exiled yourself to learn; he exiled
to teach.' He sat for300 fasts, and
himself
he [Rabbi Ḥiyya] appeared to him in a
then
saying, `If someone is a nobody but
dream,
of himself as though he were some-
speaks
if he had neverbeen
bodyÐbetterforhim
Rabbi Assi fasted for thirty days to
created.'
Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabbah but did not
envision
him. He was told, `You are not worthy.'
see
said to them, `Show him to me, and let
He
what happens!' He saw his steps
happen
steps of Rabbi Ḥiyya's throne in heaven],
[the
and his eyes grew dim.'' See JT
9:4, 32b; Lerner, in Sinai 59 (1966):
Kil'ayim
20±21.
the Zohar Rabbi Ḥiyya is no longerthe
In
whose appearance is sought by fasting,
saint
Name emerged, unlike before, as is written: These are the generations of heaven
and earth
BZCF O C
(be-hibbare'am), when they were created. All r emained
Once that name was
completed, the holy name was completed, as the verse concludes: on the day
that
FGF KFNB K
the dust, yet you subsist and guide the world!'' 137
in
moment he was shocked, and then exclaimed, ``Dust, dust, do not
Fora
20
ḥah (Bereshit Rabbah 12:9) referred to above:
O
(be-hibbare'am) is an anagram of
BZCFC
FZCBC
O
(be-Avraham).
(YHVH
on the day ... K FGF KFNB O
135.
but rather the devotee who seeks. Rabbi
Rabbi Shim'on.
of
he fasted forty days to envision Ra-
139.
bbi Shim'on See Qohelet Rabbah on 9:10: