Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

tremble and quake [4b] before Him. He sheds tears over this, 153
of bubbling fire fall into the vast ocean. From those tears the Prince of
tears
Ocean 154 emergesÐby them he is sustained. And he hallows the name of
the
Holy King, agreeing to swallow up all the waters of Creation and absorb
the
when all the nations gatheragainst the holy people, 155 so that the waters
them
Messiah is coming to the Academy of Rabbi Shim'on!'' Forall the righteous
King
present there are heads of academies, and those academies are designated
and all members of each academy ascend from the Academy here 158 to
there;
Academy of Heaven. The Messiah visits all those academies, setting his seal
the
on the Torah issuing from the mouths of the rabbis. 159
arrived, adorned by the heads of the academies with celestial crowns.
Messiah
that moment all the Companions rose and Rabbi Shim'on rose, his light
At
to the vault of heaven.
radiating
said to him, 160 ``Happy are you, Rabbi, for your Torah ascends in 370
He
161 each and every light refracting into 613 senses, 162 ascending and bathing
lights,
in rivers of pure balsam. 163
The blessed Holy One sets His seal on the
sheds tears over this Overthe exile
153.
Shekhinah. See BT Berakhot 59a: ``When
of
blessed Holy One remembers His children,
the
who are plunged in suffering among
nations of the world, He sheds two tears
the
the Great Sea, and His voice resounds
into
one end of the world to the other.''
from
Zohar 2:9a, 19a±b (MhN ), 195b;
See
Seder Gan Eden (Beit ha-Midrash,
3:172a±b;
3:133).
Prince of the Ocean Apparently
154.
mentioned below, page XX168.
Leviathan,
to swallow up all the waters . . . See
155.
Ḥuqqat 1, and BT Bava Batra 74b
Tanḥuma,
the name of Rav), where God commands
(in
Prince of the Ocean to swallow the
the
waters of creation. When he refuses,
chaotic
kicks and slays him. Here, the prince
God
the divine command.
obeys
the parallel between the waters and the
On
see Avot de-Rabbi Natan A, 35,
nations,
both gatherings (of the water and of
where
nations) are peaceful. Cf. Zohar 1:119a;
the
Mystic Tales from the Zohar, 30±31.
Wineman,
pass through on dry land Recalling
156.
crossing of the Red Sea. See Micah 7:15:
the
in the days when You went forth from the
As
of Egypt, I will show him wonders. Cf.
land
14:21±22; Isaiah 11:15±16; Vayiqra
Exodus
27:4.
Rabbah
he Rabbi Ḥiyya.
157.
the Academy here In the Garden of
158.
Eden.
setting his seal... Endorsing their
159.
See Zohar 3:173a; ZḤ 80b (MhN,
teachings.
BT Ḥagigah 15b. The image of sealing
Rut);
originates in Isaiah 8:16: Bind up the
Torah
seal Torah among my disciples.
testimony,
He said to him The Messiah said
160.
Rabbi Shim'on.
to
370 lights Apparently the number
161.
signifies the three highest sefirot, while
300
number 70 represents the seven lower
the
emanating from them. See OY; Zohar
sefirot
(MhN ); 3:128b (IR). KP reads: 390,
2:14a±b
to the 390 firmaments.
corresponding
613 senses Corresponding to the
162.
mitsvot of the Torah. See Zohar 3:128a
613
(IR).
pure balsam Thirteen rivers of bal-
163.
await the righteous in the world that is
sam
See BT Ta'anit 25a; Bereshit Rabbah
coming.
Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar
[1:4b]
and those
dry up and they will pass through on dry land. 156
will
he 157
Meanwhile
heard a voice proclaiming, ``Make way, make wayÐfor
At that moment the
23