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the zohar [1:5b] El'azarwas going to see Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Shim'on son of Rabbi his father-in-law. 205 [5b] Rabbi Abba accompanied him, and a man Lekonya, goading the donkeys behind them. was Abba said, ``Let us open openings of Torah, for the time is ripe to Rabbi ourselves on our way.'' adorn El'azaropened, saying, ``My Sabbaths you are to observe (Leviticus Rabbi Come and see: In six days the blessed Holy One created the world. 19:30). single day revealed its work, transmitting its power through that day. 206 Every did it reveal its work and transmit its power? On the fourth day, 207 for When first three days were all concealed, not revealed. When the fourth day those it generated the work and power of them all, since fire, water, and arrived, they are three ethereal elements 208 Ðwere all suspended, their airÐalthough unrevealed until earth revealed them. Then the skill of each one of them work made known. was you might say this happened on the third day, concerning which is ``Now Let the earth sprout vegetation, and The earth brought forth vegetation written: Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Shim'on 205. of Lekonya, his father-in-law See the son in Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana similarsetting ``Rabbi El'azarson of Rabbi Shim'on 11:20: going to Rabbi Shim'on son of Rabbi was son of Lekonya, his father-in-law....'' Yose to this rabbinic tradition, El'- According father-in-law was named Shim'on son azar's Yose. of JT Ma'aserot 3:8, 50d; Shir ha-Shirim See on 4:11; Devarim Rabbah 7:11; Seder Rabbah s.v. Shim'on ben Yose ben Leko- ha-Dorot, (In BT Bava Metsi'a 85a the name of nya. El'azar's brother-in-law is given as Rabbi Shim'on son of Issi [Yose] son of Rabbi which would make Yose his father- Lekonya, as here in the Zohar, but nowhere in in-law, literature is he named Yose son of rabbinic Shim'on.) authorof The father and son, transforming Shim'on switches son of Yose into Yose son of Shim'on. 1:61b, 143b; 3:84b, 188a, 193a; ZḤ 10d, 14a See ), 22c (MhN ). El'azar's own father, (MhN course, is Rabbi Shim'on son of Yoḥai. of who accompanies Rabbi El'azar: Rabbi Note (``father''). Soon anotherfatherand Abba appear. son In six days... The six days of 206. correspond to six primordial days, Creation sefirot from Ḥesed through Yesod, through the which God fashioned the world. Each day displayed its creative power on sefirotic corresponding day of the week. the On the fourth day Corresponding 207. Shekhinah. Although usually pictured as to of the lower sefirot, She can also be seventh as the fourth primordial day characterized middle of the cosmic week), completing (the triad of Ḥesed, Gevurah, and Tif'eret. She- the actualizes the potential of the other khinah sefirot. three ethereal elements According 208. Empedocles and laterGreek and medieval to the four elementsÐwater, fire, air, thought, earthÐare the ultimate root of all and By theircombination and separation, things. everything in nature comes into being passes away. and Sefer Yetsirah 3:3; Bemidbar Rabbah See Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot 14:12; ha-Torah 4:1. In the Zohar, the four Yesodei 30 (Genesis 1:11±12). But although written of the third day, it was really the fourth, the Zohar consistently
in the third to be one without division. 209 From the fourth day on, its included was revealed, yielding an artisan for each and every skill, 210 forthe fourth work both earlier and later days, was dependent on the Sabbath day, 212 as is them, God included in 213 the seventh day His work that He had made (Genesis written: This is Sabbath, fourth leg of the throne. 2:2). you might ask, Ìf so, why My Sabbaths you are to observe, two?' The ``Now the Sabbath of Sabbath eve and the Sabbath of the day itself, which answeris: indivisible.'' 214 are said, ``What is the holiness of the Sabbath?'' He replied, ``This is the holiness drawn down from above.'' He symbolize the quartet of sefirot: elements Gevurah, Tif'eret, and Shekhinah. Ḥesed, included in the third . . . The third 209. day is Tif'eret, the male sefirah. primordial activity of the female, Shekhinah, symbolized The by earth, took place on the fourth but is included in His day to ensure and day their union. demonstrate From the fourth day on...an 210. . . . Beginning on the fourth day, artisan lowertriad of sefirot emerged: Netsaḥ, the and Yesod. These three artisans com- Hod, the work of the preceding skilled trio: pleted Gevurah, and Tif'eret. See OY. Ḥesed, fourth leg . . . The four sefirot 211. Gevurah, Tif'eret, and Shekhinah), (Ḥesed, fourelements, also constitute the four the of the divine throne upon which sits legs SeeZohar 1:20a. Binah. earlier and later days...Sabbath 212. completes the triad of Ḥesed, Gevurah, Shekhinah and Tif'eret, as well as the next triad: Hod, and Yesod. She is the Sabbath, Netsaḥ, of the primordial week of culmination Sabbath of Sabbath eve . . . There 214. two aspects of the Sabbath: the feminine are eve, symbolized by Shekhinah, and Sabbath masculine Sabbath day, symbolized by the or Yesod. Cf. Moses de LeoÂ n, Sefer Tif'eret 1±10. ha-Mishqal, Arab merchant, traveler,'' apparently `Àrab, from the name of the Arabian tribe derived The prophet Elijah returns to earth to taiy. a tayya'a in BT Berakhot 6b, and as appearas Rosh ha-Shanah 26b; Yevamot 120b; See Batra 73b; Sanhedrin 110a; Ḥullin 7a. Bava the Zohar, tayya'a indicates one of several In wandering donkey-drivers who annoy, and enlighten the Companions on perplex, road. See 2:45b, 94b±114a, 145b, 155b±157a; the 186b; ZḤ 83a±d (MhN, Rut); TZ 23, 3:21a±23a, Cf. Tosefta, Ḥagigah 2:1 (BT Ḥagigah 14b; 69a. Ḥagigah 2:1, 77a); BT Mo'ed Qatan 25a±b; JT Rabbah 32:10; Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah Bereshit 4:3; Steinschneider, Polemische und apologetische on Literatur, 248±54; Pushinski, in 2 (1940): 140±47; Scholem, Major Yavneh 165, 388, n. 46; idem, Kabbalah, 227. Trends, My sanctuary . . . The continuation 216. the verse with which Rabbi El'azar open- of My Sabbaths you are to observe . . . ed: 19:30). (Leviticus Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar [1:5b] day constitutes the fourth leg of the celestial throne. 211 All the work of all of That Arab donkey-driver 215 goading behind them said, `Ànd what is My you are to hold in awe (Leviticus 19:30)?'' 216 sanctuary replied, ``This is the holiness of the Sabbath.'' He 31 TKK B (Tayya'a), 215. Arab donkey-driver J K (aravi), `Àrab'' in Rut Zuta 1:20; 4:11. CZ an T Creation. included G MK N 213. (Vaykhal), `Ànd He (klh). Rabbi from the root M N F completed,'' El'azarunderstands this word in light of the related root M N N (kll), `ìnclude, comprise, gather.''
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 and 28: Torah. Of this is written: I have p
Page 29: Shim'on said to the Companions, `Ì
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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