Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

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the zohar [1:5a] Me, becoming My partner! Just as I made heaven and earth by speaking, with is said: By the word of YHVH, the heavens were made (Psalms 33:6), so do as Happy are those engaged with Torah! you.' if you say that the word of any ignorant person has the same effect, ``Now and see: One who is unaccustomed to the mysteries of Torah and come words he does not fully understandÐwhen that word ascends, a innovates of perversity, tongue of falsehood (Proverbs 16:28; 6:17), 189 bursts forth from man chasm of the immense abyss, 190 leaping 500 parasangs 191 to obtain that the Grabbing her, he takes that word back to his chasm and transmogrifies word. a distorted heaven called `chaos.' The man of perversity flies through herinto heavenÐ6,000 parasangs in one glide. 192 As soon as the distorted heaven that established, a woman of whoredom (Hosea 1:2) 193 emerges, clinging to it, is with it. From there she sets out, killing thousands, myriads. For as long joining she endures in that heaven, she is empowered to swoop through the entire as world in a single moment. 194 those cords of falsehood, and then sin as with a cart rope, that female called with who is empowered there to fly and kill human beings. So, Many are those sin, has struck dead (Proverbs 7:26). Who has struck them dead? This sin who she human beings. Who causes this? A disciple unqualified to teach who slays original interpretations of Torah as tifies Zion. man of perversity . . . Samael, the 189. demon who schemes and accuses male falsely. chasm of the immense abyss The 190. of demons. abode parasangs The Greek parasang 191. about 3.5 miles. equals in one glide The distorted heaven 192. Samael, providing him a fast celestial empowers highway. woman of whoredom Lilith, the 193. demon, wife of Samael. Together female comprise Sitra Aḥra, ``the OtherSide.'' they Zohar 1:148a (ST ); 2:245a; Scholem, Kab- See 356±61. balah, in a single moment See BT Bera- 194. 4b: `À tanna taught: `Michael [reaches khot destination] in one [glide], Gabriel in his Elijah in four, and the Angel of Death two, eightÐin time of plague, however, in in one.''' Woe unto them... See BT Sukkah 195. ``Rabbi Assi said, `The evil impulse at 52a: resembles the thread of a spider but first it resembles cart ropes, as is said: ultimately unto them who haul iniquity with cords Woe vanity, and sin as with a cart rope.''' Cf. of 1:57a. Zohar He The distorted heaven. 196. A disciple unqualified . . . See BT 197. 22a: ``Rav said, `What is the meaning Sotah the verse Many are those she has struck of numerous are her slain? Many are those dead, has struck deadÐthis refers to a disciple she to teach [to decide questions of unqualified who teaches. Numerous are her slainÐ law] refers to a disciple qualified to teach this does not.''' who P K (ammi), My people,' but rather `You are T P K (immi), T Do not read `You are Concerning this is written: Woe unto them who 28 iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as with a cart rope (Isaiah 5:18). 195 haul is the male. Who is sin? The female. He 196 hauls the one called iniquity Iniquity teaches. 197 May the Compassionate One save us!''
Shim'on said to the Companions, `Ì beg of you not to uttera word of Rabbi that you do not know and have not heard properly from a lofty tree, 198 Torah One save us!'' Compassionate and see: With Torah the blessed Holy One created the world. This ``Come been established, as is written: I was with Him as a nursling, I was a daily has (Proverbs 8:30). 200 He gazed upon heronce, twice, three and fourtimes, delight spoke, creating through her. 201 then 202 her, her. He told humanity (Job 28:27). 203 corresponding to those four times: He saw and declared her, arranged created and probed her. 204 Before generating His work, He introduced four words: her four times that the blessed Holy One contemplated Torah before actualizing the His work of art.'' from a lofty tree From a recognized 198. authority. See the similar expression: high tamarisks'' (BT Beitsah 27a). ``from of the five things that the imprisoned One Akiva taught Rabbi Shim'on (BT Pesaḥim Rabbi 112a) was: `Ìf you want to be stran- then be hanged on a large tree,'' which gled, to Rashi (ad loc.) means: If you according depend on an authority, see that it is a must one. great Kallah Rabbati, 2;Zohar 2:87a; 3:76a± See and BT Berakhot 27b: ``Rabbi Eli'ezersays, b; who says something that he has not `...One from his teacher causes Shekhinah to heard from Israel.''' depart conservative attitude here contrasts The the preceding encouragement to innovate. with See OY and KP. slay multitudes without cause 199. and sinners die together in the Righteous the ``precious instrument by which the is was created.'' See Bereshit Rabbah 1:1: world an artisan. Torah says, `Ì was the (umman), tool of the blessed Holy One.'' . . . artistic blessed Holy One gazed into Torah and The the world.''' created Zohar 1:47a, 134a±b; 2:161a±b; 3:35b; See Philo, 1:243±45. Wolfson, then spoke . . . Only afterperusing 201. did God proclaim her words, thereby Torah the world. creating nottoerr... But rather to imitate 202. and study Torah thoroughly. Cf. BT God 54b: ``Rabbi Eli'ezersaid, Òne must Eruvin The four verbs correspond to the four 24:5. that God gazed into Torah, perhaps times to the four methods of interpretation: also allegorical, midrashic, and mystical. literal, creating the world, God told humanity After imitate Him by studying Torah inten- to sively. corresponding to those four 204. containing respectively the sefirot, worlds, Chariot, the angels, and the physical the Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar [1:5a] you enable sin to slay multitudes without cause.'' 199 lest all opened, saying, ``May the Compassionate One save us! May the They To teach human beings not to err in as is written: Then He saw and declared her, arranged her and probed The blessed Holy One created what He BZC OKFNB B \ (Be-reshit bara Elohim et), In the beginning God created. \K[BZC these four; then, F KP[ O (ha-shamayim), the heavens. These correspond to First, 29 his student fourtimes.''' teach Then He saw...declared... ar- 203. ranged...probed... See Bereshit Rabbah According to M Avot 3:14, Torah and disease brought by Lilith. plagues With Torah . . . This has been estab- 200. lished . . . times . . . Perhaps a reference to the four ``Rabbi Oshaya opened, Ì was with Him as world. Q (amon), a nursling . . . B GP Q (amon)Ð B QPG GPB
Page 1 and 2: and then there is a rose! Just as a
Page 3 and 4: Shim'on opened, ``The blossoms Rabb
Page 5 and 6: are little children, youngsters, as
Page 7 and 8: is End of Heaven above; What is End
Page 9 and 10: (Mah), What, 56 name throughout the
Page 11 and 12: His great might (Isaiah 40:26). 73
Page 13 and 14: so revealedÐso as not to provide t
Page 15 and 16: M (kaf) descended from the throne o
Page 17 and 18: et). Letters above and letters belo
Page 19 and 20: was not, did not exist. When did th
Page 21 and 22: ``You are not entitled to see him.'
Page 23 and 24: tremble and quake [4b] before Him.
Page 25 and 26: was granted to him. He emerged trem
Page 27: Torah. Of this is written: I have p
Page 31 and 32: in the third to be one without divi
Page 33 and 34: is that? The one included by the bl
Page 35 and 36: awe is the point standing in the ce
Page 37 and 38: Abba and Rabbi El'azar gazed at him
Page 39 and 40: and concealed. 266 In the trunk of
Page 41 and 42: was decreed above by the celestial
Page 43 and 44: He drew near. But the three he did
Page 45 and 46: light created on the first day. 308
Page 47 and 48: eaching the house of Rabbi Yose son
Page 49 and 50: So he was called Habakkuk; it was h

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