Translation:Tikunei Zohar/44a

by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi)

And therefore "Hear, O mountains..." - these are the patriarchs - "...the battle of H'" - this is the Shekhinah, which fights with the patriarchs, since they distance her from her husband, for these are called Amoraim, and "the mighty stones (eitanim), foundations of the earth," these are the Tannaim. And these, Tannaim and Eitanim are permuted

(daf 44a)

letters, and they are Netzach and Hod (Tzaddikim), mighty stones of the world (eitanei `olam). And behold, EYTa"N reversed is TaNY"A (Mishna) that helps him through the exile. And of this it says (Num. 24:21), "EYTN moshavekha w'sim ba'sela` kinnekha/ (If) firm be thy dwelling-place, (then) thy nest be set in the rock."

וּבְגִין דָּא שִׁמְעוּ הָרִים אִלֵּין אֲבָהָן, אֶת רִיב יהו"ה דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְאִיהִי רִיב עִם אֲבָהָן, בְּגִין דִּמְרַחֲקִין לָהּ מִבַּעִִלָהּ, דְּאִינוּן אִתְקְרִיאוּ אֱמוֹרָאִים, וְהָאֵיתָנִים מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ אִלֵּין אִינוּן תַּנָּאִים, וְאִלֵּין תַּנָּאִי"ם אֵיתָנִי"ם בְּהִפּוּךְ (דף מד ע"א) אַתְוָון, וְאִינוּן נֶצַח וָהוֹד (צדיקים) אֵיתָנֵי עוֹלָם, וְהָא אֵיתָ"ן בְּהִפּוּךְ אַתְוָון תַּנְיָ"א דִמְסַיֵּיעַ לֵיהּ בְּגָלוּתָא, וַעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר (במדבר כד, כא) אֵיתָן מוֹשָׁבֶךָ וְשִׂים בַּסֶּלַע קִנֶּךָ.

And this rock (it's said of it that only a few drops of Torah go out from it in these psakot, decisions, and because "And Moshe struck the rock with his staff twice (Num. 20:11) this caused that -) only a few drops go out from it, a little here and a little there, and there are many disputes over these drops. And who causes this? Ha-morim, the teachers, of whom it says "Kol-hamoreh halakhah bifnei rabbo chayyav mithah/ Whoever teaches the rules in front of his rav is liable to death." And therefore, "Shim`u na ha-morim/ Listen, please, you teachers," and because of them Moshe struck the rock with his staff twice, for had he not struck it then Yisrael and the Tannaim and Amoraim would not have had to toil in the Oral Torah which is the rock. So rather it says of him (ibid. :8) "W'dibbartem el-ha'sela`... w'nathan meymaw/ Had you talked to the rock.. it would have given its water" - without toil, and it would have been fulfilled in them "And they shall learn no more (war)" (Jer. 31:33), and water would have emerged without difficulty, dispute or stopping (psak), since it's said of the Shekhinah (ibid. 23:29) "Aren't thus (KoH) My words like fire, saith H'. It would have rested in the mouths of Yisrael, for it's the Oral Torah, which is SELA` -- `AL S (60) - which are the sixty Masekhtot, so thus it's SELA`, `AL S, on Sixty.

וְהַאי סֶלַע (אתמר בה דלא נפיק אלא טפין טפין דמיא דאורייתא באלין פסקות ובגין ויך משה את הסלע במטהו פעמים (במדבר כ יא) דא גרים ד) לָא נָפִיק מִינָהּ אֶלָּא טִפִּין טִפִּין זְעִיר שָׁם זְעִיר שָׁם, וְכַמָּה מַחֲלוֹקוֹת עַל אִלֵּין טִפִּין, וּמָאן גְּרִים דָּא, הַמּוֹרִים, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן כָּל הַמּוֹרֶה הֲלָכָה בִּפְנֵי רַבּוֹ חַיָּיב מִיתָה, וּבְגִין דָּא שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמּוֹרִים, וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ וַיַּךְ מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם, דְּאִם לָא דְמָחָא בָּהּ לָא הֲווֹ טָרְחִין יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַנָּאִים וְאֱמוֹרָאִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דִבְעַל פֶּה דְּאִיהִי סֶלַע, אֶלָּא אִתְּמַר בּוֹ וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע וְנָתַן מֵימָיו בְּלָא טוֹרַח, וְיִהְיֶה מִתְקַיֵּים בְּהוֹן וְלֹא יְלַמְּדוּ עוֹד וְגוֹמֵר (ירמיה לא, לג), וַהֲוָה נָפִיק מַיָּא בְּלָא קֻשְׁיָא וּמַחֲלוֹקֶת וּפְסַק, בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא דְאִתְּמַר בָּהּ (שם כג כט) הֲלֹא כֹה דְבָרִי כָּאֵשׁ נְאֻם יהו"ה הֲוָה שָׁרִי בְּפוּמֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא דִבְעַל פֶּה, דְּאִיהִי סֶלַע עַ"ל ס', דְּאִינוּן שִׁתִּין מַסֶּכְתּוֹת, דְּהָכִי אִיהוּ סֶלַ"ע עַ"ל ס'.

For the Shekhinah dwelt on the rock, for wherever HKBH needs to do a miracle the Shekhinah goes there first, and since the Shekhinah was there, he ought not have struck the rock, as it was an insult to the Shekhinah present there that he did not have the power to give water, so this is, "`Al-asher lo-kiddashtem OTY [the letter Yud]/ On account that you did not sanctify Me" (Deut. 32:51), "`YAN lo-he'emantem BY lehakdisheni/ Because you did not instill faith in Me ['in Yud'] and sanctify Me" (Num. 20:12), and therefore the Shekhinah departed from the rock, which is Y from MYTTRON, leaving MTTRON dry, and the hint of the thing is "Let the waters gather from under the Heavens to one place" etc. (Gen. 1:9). "One" is Malkhut; "and let the dry land appear," this is SLA/rock MTTRON, on account of whom it is said (ibid. 2:21), "And he took one MTzaL`OTYW/ from his ribs and closed BSR (flesh) beneath it" - what is BSR? It's the one of which it says (ibid. 6:3), "b'shaggam hu basar/ while he is flesh." And until it descended on it the rock could not rise up and could not give its water.

דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוָה נָח עַל טִנָּרָא, דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּבָעִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעֱבַד נֵס, שְׁכִינְתָּא אַקְדִּמַת לְהַהוּא אֲתַר, וְכֵיוָן דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוָה תַּמָּן, לָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ לִמְחָאָה בַסֶּלַע, דִּקְלָנָא הֲוַות לִשְׁכִינְתָּא דַהֲוַת תַּמָּן דְּלָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ חֵילָא לְמֵיהַב מַיָּא, וְדָא אִיהוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי (דברים לב, נא), יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי (במדבר כ, יב), וּבְגִין דָּא אִסְתַּלַּק שְׁכִינְתָּא מִן הַסֶּלַע, דְּאִיהִי י' מִן מיטטרו"ן, וְאִשְׁתָּאַר מטטרו"ן יְבֵשָׁה, וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל מָקוֹם אֶחָד וְגוֹמֵר (בראשית א, ט), אֶחָד אִיהִי מַלְכוּת, וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה דָא סֶלַע מטטרו"ן, דִּבְגִינֵיהּ אִתְּמַר (שם ב כא) וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעוֹתָיו וַיִּסְגּוֹר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה, מַאי בָּשָׂר, הַהוּא דְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ (שם ו ג) בְּשַׁגָּם הוּא בָשָׂר, וְעַד דְּנָחִית לָהּ לָא עָלָה הַסֶּלַע וְלָא יָהִיב מֵימוֹי.

And after flow ceases from there, bitterness rules after it; this is the scripture (Ex. 15:23), "Wayyavo'u marathah/ And they arrived at Marah (bitter)." And the hint of the thing is, "and they made their lives bitter with hard labor" etc. (ibid. 1:14). This is kushia (difficult question); chomer (material) is kal v'chomer (light and easy; a fortiori). Behold, this proves it.

וּבָתַר דְּאִסְתַּלַּק הַאי מַבּוּעָא מִתַּמָּן, שַׁלִּיטַת מָרָה בְּאַתְרָהָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמות טו, כג) וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה, וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה וַיְמָרַרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה וְגוֹמֵר שם א יד, דָּא קוּשְׁיָא, בְּחֹמֶר דָּא קַל וָחֹמֶר, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהוּ.

So Yisrael were in this condition until the wood was shown to them; this is the scripture (ibid 15:25), "WayYOrehu H' `etz waYyashlekh el-ha'mayyim waYyimteku ha'mayyim/ And H' showed him wood, and he cast it to the water and the waters were sweetened." And this is the etz ha'chaYYim/ Tree of Life, which waxed great on that water-source which is the Shekhinah. Yud - the source that waters the tree which is the Waw, and that tree is [the span of] a walk of five hundred years which is Hei, "then the waters were sweetened" - this is the final Hei, of which it says (Ruth 1:20), "K'rena LY MRH / Call me [Y] Marah [the master, H] /bitter " for the Lower Shekhina is the "fountain of gardens" (Song 4:15) that has no pausing, the drop that is drawn from the brain, and from which so many drops are drawn forth, which are (Ps. 45:15), "Maidens after her [YK], her friends [friends of YK]."

וְהָכִי הֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד דְּאַחֲזֵי לוֹן עִץ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שם טו כה) וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יהו"ה עִץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל הַמַּיִם וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם, וְדָא עִץ הַחַיִּים, דְּאִתְרַבִּי עַל הַהוּא מַבּוּעָא דְאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא, י' מַבּוּעָא דְאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא דְאִיהוּ ו', וְהַאי עִץ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה דְאִינוּן ה', וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם דָּא ה' בַּתְרָאָה, דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ (רות א, כ) קְרֶאןָ לִי מָרָה, דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא תַּתָּאָה אִיהִי מַעִִיַן גַּנִּים דְּלֵית לֵיהּ פָּסֵק, טִפָּה דְאִתְמַשְׁכָא מִן מוֹחָא, וְכַמָּה טִפִּין אִתְמַשְׁכָאן מִנֵּיהּ, דְּאִינוּן (תהלים מה, טו) בְּתוּלוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ רֵעוֹתֶיהָ.

Karkarfta (skull) is SLA`, and the fountain inside is the brain. Of these drops it's said (Ps. 127:5), "Ashrei ha-gever asher mille eth-ashpatho mehem/ Fortunate is the man that fills his quiver with them... eth oyevim ba'sha`ar/ with the enemies in the gate," which is the gate of the Tzaddik the sign of the holy Covenant, of whom it says (ibid. 118:2), "Zeh ha'sha`ar la-H tzaddikim yavo'u bo/ This is the gate to Hashem, the righteous enter in it."

קַרְקַפְתָּא אִיהִי סֶלַע, וּמַבּוּעָא מִלְּגָאו דָּא מוֹחָא, עַל אִלֵּין טִפִּין אִתְּמַר (תהלים קכז, ה) אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אֶת אַשְׁפָּתוֹ מֵהֶם וְגוֹמֵר, אֶת אוֹיְבִים בַּשָּׁעַר, דְּאִיהוּ תַרְעָא דְצַדִּיק אוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ, דַּעֲלָהּ אִתְּמַר (שם קיח ב) זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַיהו"ה צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ.

Also (Micah 6:2) Shim`u harYm eth-rYv YkWk - these are the three Yuds ...W'ha'eitanim mWsedei aretz - these are the three Waw's. They are all hinted in WYSA WYBO WYT.

וְעוֹד שִׁמְעוּ הָרִים אֶת רִיב יהו"ה (מיכה ו, ב), אִלֵּין תְּלַת יוּדִי"ן, וְהָאֵיתָנִים מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ אִלֵּין תְּלַת וָוִי"ן, דְּכֻלְּהוּ אִתְרְמִיזוּ בְּוַיִּסַּע וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּט.