Rabbinic Sources for Zohar Class with Daniel Matt, Seventh Series Class 2

. . . The valley, Ezekiel goes on, was full of bones (Ezekiel 37:1), but note that atsamot, bones, can also be read "ets mavet," tree of death.' [Hence Ezekiel had in mind the fact that the men whose bones lay in the valley were not only descendants of] Adam who had eaten of the forbidden tree and that therefore they would have to suffer the penalty of death until the end of all generations. . .

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 283, Note 1348. Translation following Tanna Debe Eliyyahu, The Lore of the School of Elijah, Braude and Kapstein, trans., p. 55.

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 289, Note 1391

(7) "And they heard the sound of Hashem Elokim moving about in the garden in the windy part of the day." (Genesis, 3:8)... Rabbi Abba Bar Kahana said: It doesn't use the word מהלך here, but rather מתהלך, which implies jumping and rising. The Shechina was originally in the lower worlds, but when Adam sinned, it left to the first heaven. When Cain sinned, it left to the second, in the generation of Enosh to the third, in the generation of the flood to the fourth, in the generation of the tower of Babel to the fifth, in the generation of Sedom to the 6th, in the generation of the Egyptians to the 7th. 7 righteous men arose corresponding to them: Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya'akov, Levi, Kehos, Amram and Moshe. Avraham brought it down to the 6th, Yiztchak brought it down from the 6th to the 5th, Ya'akov brought it down to the 5th to the 4th, Levi brought it down from the 4th to the 3rd, Kehos brought it down from the 3rd to the 2nd, Amram brought it down from the 2nd to the 1st, and Moshe brought it down from above to below. Rabbi Yitzchak said: It is written "The righteous will inherit the land [and rest forever on it]." (Psalms, 37:29) Are the wicked floating in the air? Rather, [the intent of the verse is that] the wicked do not cause the Shechina to dwell on the land.

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 290, Note 1392

...Translation of highlighted portion:

Rabbi Ishmael taught: As long as man refrains from sin, he is an object of fear and awe. The moment he sins, he is subject to fear and awe. So before Adam sinned, God's voice sounded familiar to him; after he sinned, it sounded frighteningly strange to him. Before Adam sinned, it was usual for him to stand erect while he was listening to God's voice. Of this it is written, "The used to hear the voice of the Lord God as [Adam] walked in the garden." (Genesis 3:8). After Adam sinner, as soon as he had God's voie, he crouched to hide himself, as it is said, "Adam and his wife hid themselves." (ibid). In that instance--so taught R. Aibu--Adam's height diminished and he became only one hundred cubits . . .

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 290, Note 1395 (bottom). Translation: Pesikta De-Rab Kahana, Braude and Kapstein, pp. 94-95.

(Numb. 14:11:)¹This supplement comes from Codex Vaticanus, Ebr. 34. It is found neither in Buber’s primary Oxford manuscript nor in the traditional version of the Tanhuma. THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: HOW LONG WILL THIS PEOPLE SCORN ME, AND HOW LONG WILL THEY HAVE NO FAITH IN ME …? This text is related (to Prov. 1:25, 30): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY PLAN AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT MY REBUKE [….] THEY HAVE DESPISED ALL MY REBUKE. What is the implication of BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY PLAN? Simply that all the good which I planned for you, you have spoiled and spurned.²Numb. R. 16:24. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED (rt.: PR') ALL MY PLAN? At the beginning I said to Moses (in Exod. 3:8): I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM OUT OF THE HAND OF THE EGYPTIANS AND TO BRING THEM UP <OUT OF THAT LAND UNTO A GOOD AND SPACIOUS LAND>…. But you did not act in the way <I intended>. Instead you came to the sea and immediately spoiled my plan, as stated (in Ps. 106:7): THEY REBELLED AT THE SEA, AT THE REED SEA. When you came to Mount Sinai, I descended and spoke with you. I brought down on your behalf thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads of angels, and I passed on two angels to each and every person in Israel. R. Johanan said: One to gird him with his weapons³Gk.: zone (“girdle”). and one to put a crown on his head.⁴Above, Exod. 2:9 and 8:7 (with the notes in those sections); also Lam. R. 2:13 (17); Cant. R. 4:4:1 PRK 16:3; PR 21:7; 33:10; M. Ps. 103:8. R. Huna of Sepphoris said: He bound their weapons to them, while R. Simoy said: He clothed them in purple, as stated (in Ezek. 16:10): I CLOTHED YOU WITH EMBROIDERED GARMENTS. R. Simeon b. Johay says: He clothed them with an instrument of weaponry with the Ineffable Name written upon it. Moreover, as long as it was in their hand, nothing evil had power against them, neither the angel of death nor anything else.⁵See above, Exod. 9:12; Exod. R. 32:1; 41:7; 51:8; Lev. R. 18:3; cf. ‘AZ 5a. But when they sinned, Moses had said to them (in Exod. 33:5): NOW THEN, REMOVE YOUR ORNAMENTS (i.e., your weapons) FROM YOURSELVES, THAT I MAY KNOW WHAT TO DO TO YOU. At that time (according to vs. 4): WHEN THE PEOPLE HEARD THIS BAD NEWS, THEY WENT INTO MOURNING, <AND NO ONE PUT HIS ORNAMENTS ON HIMSELF>. And what is written (in vs. 6)? SO [THE CHILDREN OF] ISRAEL STRIPPED THEMSELVES OF ORNAMENTS…. What had the Holy One done (at the giving of Torah)?⁶See Exod. R. 32:1. He had brought the angel of death and said to him: All the world is under your authority, except this people whom I have chosen for myself. R. Eleazar the Son of R. Jose the Galilean said: The angel of death said to the Holy One: Have I been created in the world for nothing?⁷Exod. R. 27. The Holy One said to him: I created you so that you would destroy <all> the peoples of the world except this people, over whom you have no authority to take a single one of them. Look at the plan which the Holy One had devised concerning them for them to live and endure! Thus it is stated (in Deut. 4:4): BUT YOU WHO CLUNG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY. So also it says (in Exod. 32:16): AND THE WRITING WAS THE WRITING OF GOD INSCRIBED (harut) ON THE TABLETS. What is the meaning of harut? R. Judah says: FREEDOM (herut) from the empires; but R. Nehemiah says: FREEDOM (herut) from the angel of death; and our masters say: FREEDOM from afflictions. Look at the plan which the Holy One had devised for them! Then they immediately spoiled this plan after <only> forty days. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY PLAN.

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 291, Note 1398

The Gemara resolves the first contradiction: “I saw the Lord” is to be understood as it is taught in a baraita: All of the prophets observed their prophecies through an obscure looking glass [aspaklaria], i.e., their prophecies were given as metaphoric visions but were not a direct perception of the matter. However, Moses our master observed his prophecies through a clear looking glass, i.e., he gained a direct and accurate perception of the matter.

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 291, Note 1401

"This is my G d and I will extol Him": R. Eliezer says: Whence is it derived that a maid-servant beheld at the Red Sea what was not beheld by Ezekiel and the other prophets, of whom it is written (Hoshea 12:11) "And to the prophets I appeared (in various) guises," and (Ezekiel 1:1) "The heavens opened and I saw visions of G d"? An analogy: A king of flesh and blood comes to a province, a circle of guards around him, warriors at his right and at his left, armies before him and behind him — and all asking "Who is the king?" For he is flesh and blood as they are. But when the Holy One was revealed at the sea, there was no need for anyone to ask "Who is the King?" For when they saw Him, they knew Him, and they all opened and said "This is my G d, and I will extol Him ("ve'anvehu," lit.: "I will 'host' Him")!" R. Yishmael says: Is it possible to "host" one's Master? Rather, (read "ve'anvehu" as) "I shall beautify myself (from the root "na'eh") before Him with mitzvoth — with a beautiful lulav, beautiful tzitzith, a beautiful shofar, beautiful prayer. Abba Shaul says: "I will liken myself to Him" (i.e., "ve'anvehu" = ani vehu ["I and He"]) Just as He is merciful and gracious, you, too, be merciful and gracious. R. Yossi Haglili says; "Beautify and praise the Holy One Blessed be He before all the peoples of the world." R. Yossi b. Dormaskith says: "I shall make a Temple before Him," "navth" being the Temple, as in (Psalms 79:7) "and they have destroyed navehu" (His Temple)", and (Isaiah 33:20) "But you will regard (with deference) Zion, the city of our assemblies. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, the peaceful habitation" (neveh sha'anan). R. Akiva says: "I shall speak of His beauty" — of the praise of the Holy One Blessed be He, who spoke and brought the world into being. The peoples of the world ask Israel (Song of Songs 5:9) "How is your Beloved (different) from the beloved (of all the other nations) that you have thus besworn us? (see Ibid. 8) that you thus die for Him and are thus murdered for Him, viz. (Ibid. 1:3) "alamoth have loved You" — they have loved You "al maveth" ("above death"), and (Psalms 44:23) "for over You we are slain all the day"? You are comely, you are strong. Come and join us. And Israel says to them: Do you know Him? Let us tell you part of His praise (Song of Songs 5:10) "My Beloved is white and ruddy, distinguished among legions." When they hear this, they say to Israel: Let us go with you, viz. (Ibid. 6:1) "Where did your Beloved go, you loveliest among the women? Whither has your Beloved turned? Let us seek Him with you." And Israel says to them (Ibid. 2:16) "My Beloved is mine, and I am His," and (Ibid. 6:3) "I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine, who grazes His flock among the lilies." And the sages say (on "ve'anvehu"): "I shall accompany Him ("alavenhu") until I come with Him to His Temple. An analogy: A king's son goes abroad — he goes after him and attends upon him. He goes to a different city — he goes after him and attends upon him. Thus with Israel. When they went down to Egypt, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Genesis 46:4) "I shall go down with you to Egypt." When they went up, the Shechinah went up with them, viz. (Ibid.) "and I shall also bring you up." When they went down to the sea, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Exodus 14:19) "And the angel of G d, who went before the camp of Israel, etc." When they went out to the desert, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Ibid. 13:21) "And the L rd went before them by day, etc." — until they brought Him with them to His holy Temple, viz. (Song of Songs 3: "I had almost passed them (Moses and Aaron) by, when I found Him whom my soul loved. I held onto Him and did not let go of Him until I had brought Him to the house of my mother and the chamber of my conception." "my G d" (Keli): With me He manifested the attribute of mercy, and with my fathers, the attribute of justice. And whence is it derived that "keli" connotes the attribute of mercy? From (Psalms 22:2) "Keli, Keli, why have You forsaken me?" and (Numbers 12:13) "Kel, I pray You, heal her, I pray You," and (Psalms 118:27) "The L rd is 'Kel,' and He has lighted (the way) for us." And whence is it derived that "Elokim" (as in [Exodus, Ibid] "the G d ['Elokei'] of my father") connotes justice? From (Devarim 1:17) "For the judgment is to 'Elokim.'" "the G d of my father, and I will exalt Him": I am a queen, the daughter of kings; a beloved one, the daughter of beloved ones; a holy one, the daughter of holy ones; a pure one, the daughter of pure ones. An analogy: A man goes to betroth a woman. Sometimes he is embarrassed in her; sometimes, in her kin. But I am not so, but a queen, the daughter of kings, etc. R. Shimon b. Elazar says: When Israel do the will of the L rd, His name is exalted in the world, as it is written (Joshua 5:1) "And it was, when all the kings of the Emori heard, etc." And thus did Rachav say to Joshuah's emissaries, (Ibid. 2:10) "for we heard how the L rd dried up, etc.", and (Ibid. 17) "and we heard and our hearts melted, and no man's spirit endured within him before you. For the L rd, He is G d in the heavens above, etc." And when they do not do His will, His name, as it were, is demeaned in the world, viz. (Ezekiel 36:20) "And they came to the nations … and they profaned My holy name when it was said of them: These are the peoples of the L rd, and from His land did they go forth …" and (Ibid. 23) "And I shall sanctify My great name which has been profaned among the nations, etc." "the G d of my father, and I will exalt Him": The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One Blessed be He: L rd of the world, it is not for the miracles that You performed with Me that I chant song before You, but for the miracles that You performed with my fathers and with me in all of the generations — thus: "This is my G d and I will extol Him; the G d of my father, and I will exalt Him."

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 291, note 1402.

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Translation of highlighted portion:

Before the children of Israel sinned, what does Scripture say of them? "The appearance ofthe glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on top of the Mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." (Exodus 24:17). The phrase, "devouring fire," according to Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, means that seven seas of fire seemed to be devouring one another on the top of the Mount. And Israel beheld them and had no fear an felt no teror. But after they sinned, they could not gaze even upon the face of God's intermediary Moses. Of their fear it is written "When Aaron nd all the children of Israel saw Moss...they were afraid to come nigh him" (Exodus 34:30).

Zohar, Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1, 291, note 1403.

Translation, Pesikta De-Rab Kahana, Braude and Kapstein, p. 95.

Note: This is a continuation of the same source as #4, above.