זוהר ויקרא — דף כא ע”א
Summary
Rabbi Yossei opens with "Barak said to her: if you go with me, I will go" (Judges 4): Barak said, since the spirit of holiness rests upon her, by her merit I shall be saved and no harm shall befall me. And if Barak relied on a woman to be saved for her sake, how much more so we, who have with us the Torah, the Name of the holy King.<br />
<br />
They stayed in the cave all that day, and when night fell, the moon lit up the cave. Two merchants passed by with their donkeys laden with wine and food for themselves; they rested their loads and said to one another, "Let us lodge here and enter this cave." One said to the other, "Before we enter, explain to me a verse that troubles me — 'I will thank You forever, for You have done' (Psalm 52): why 'for You have done' without saying what? And 'for it is good before Your pious ones' — is it then not good toward another?" He had no answer, and said, "Woe to our trade, for which we have abandoned the Holy One, blessed be He." Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossei, sitting in the cave, rejoiced; Rabbi Chiya said to Rabbi Yossei, "Did I not tell you that when the Holy One, blessed be He, performs a miracle, He performs it in everything?" They went out.<br />
<br />
As they left, Rabbi Chiya opened with "Peace, peace to him that is far off" (Isaiah 57): two peaces here, one for the far and one for the near, and all is one — "far" that has become "near" refers to penitents, once far and now near; and further, one who distances himself from Torah is far from the Holy One, blessed be He, while one who draws near to Torah is drawn near by the Holy One, blessed be He. Now the merchants joined them and entered the cave, unloaded their donkeys and prepared food, and all went out to the mouth of the cave.<br />
<br />
One of the merchants said, "Let the masters of Torah explain to us this verse: 'I will thank You forever, for You have done, and I will hope in Your Name, for it is good before Your pious ones' — why 'for You have done' without saying what, and why 'it is good' specifically 'before Your pious ones'?"<br />
<br />
Rabbi Chiya answered: "'For You have done' indeed; and what have You done? 'For the world' — because of this world which the Holy One, blessed be He, made and established, a person thanks Him every day. 'And I will hope in Your Name, for it is good before Your pious ones' — indeed, toward the righteous His Name is good, but not toward the wicked who disgrace Him every day and do not occupy themselves with Torah." The merchant said, "That is fine, but I heard something from behind a wall, and I am afraid to reveal it." They told him, "Speak your word, for the Torah is not the inheritance of any one place."<br />
<br />
He related: "One day I was going to Lod; I entered the city and leaned against a wall, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was in that house, and I heard from his mouth, concerning this verse: 'I will thank You' — King David, peace be upon him, said this of the world to come that the Holy One, blessed be He, made, to which David is attached and through which he inherits the Kingdom (Malchut). 'And I will hope in Your Name, for it is good' — this is the Holy One, blessed be He, in the unification of this world called 'good.' When is it called good? 'Before Your pious ones' — and who are Your pious ones?"<br />
<br />
"Rather, there is kindness and there is kindness: these are called 'the faithful mercies of David.' And when these mercies of David are filled from that goodness flowing from the holy Ancient One, then the Yesod is called 'good,' and good is found for them — just as it is found within Him, so He perfumes this last world, and everything is found in blessing; therefore David was waiting for this level that illuminates the world to which he is attached."<br />
<br />
The merchant concluded: "These words I heard thus, but I did not know their meaning." Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossei came and kissed him on his head. Rabbi Chiya said, "Who covers your eyes with dust, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, for while you are in your place you shake the upper mountains, and even the birds of heaven, and all rejoice in your words! Woe to the world in that hour when you shall depart from it.
<br />
They stayed in the cave all that day, and when night fell, the moon lit up the cave. Two merchants passed by with their donkeys laden with wine and food for themselves; they rested their loads and said to one another, "Let us lodge here and enter this cave." One said to the other, "Before we enter, explain to me a verse that troubles me — 'I will thank You forever, for You have done' (Psalm 52): why 'for You have done' without saying what? And 'for it is good before Your pious ones' — is it then not good toward another?" He had no answer, and said, "Woe to our trade, for which we have abandoned the Holy One, blessed be He." Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossei, sitting in the cave, rejoiced; Rabbi Chiya said to Rabbi Yossei, "Did I not tell you that when the Holy One, blessed be He, performs a miracle, He performs it in everything?" They went out.<br />
<br />
As they left, Rabbi Chiya opened with "Peace, peace to him that is far off" (Isaiah 57): two peaces here, one for the far and one for the near, and all is one — "far" that has become "near" refers to penitents, once far and now near; and further, one who distances himself from Torah is far from the Holy One, blessed be He, while one who draws near to Torah is drawn near by the Holy One, blessed be He. Now the merchants joined them and entered the cave, unloaded their donkeys and prepared food, and all went out to the mouth of the cave.<br />
<br />
One of the merchants said, "Let the masters of Torah explain to us this verse: 'I will thank You forever, for You have done, and I will hope in Your Name, for it is good before Your pious ones' — why 'for You have done' without saying what, and why 'it is good' specifically 'before Your pious ones'?"<br />
<br />
Rabbi Chiya answered: "'For You have done' indeed; and what have You done? 'For the world' — because of this world which the Holy One, blessed be He, made and established, a person thanks Him every day. 'And I will hope in Your Name, for it is good before Your pious ones' — indeed, toward the righteous His Name is good, but not toward the wicked who disgrace Him every day and do not occupy themselves with Torah." The merchant said, "That is fine, but I heard something from behind a wall, and I am afraid to reveal it." They told him, "Speak your word, for the Torah is not the inheritance of any one place."<br />
<br />
He related: "One day I was going to Lod; I entered the city and leaned against a wall, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was in that house, and I heard from his mouth, concerning this verse: 'I will thank You' — King David, peace be upon him, said this of the world to come that the Holy One, blessed be He, made, to which David is attached and through which he inherits the Kingdom (Malchut). 'And I will hope in Your Name, for it is good' — this is the Holy One, blessed be He, in the unification of this world called 'good.' When is it called good? 'Before Your pious ones' — and who are Your pious ones?"<br />
<br />
"Rather, there is kindness and there is kindness: these are called 'the faithful mercies of David.' And when these mercies of David are filled from that goodness flowing from the holy Ancient One, then the Yesod is called 'good,' and good is found for them — just as it is found within Him, so He perfumes this last world, and everything is found in blessing; therefore David was waiting for this level that illuminates the world to which he is attached."<br />
<br />
The merchant concluded: "These words I heard thus, but I did not know their meaning." Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossei came and kissed him on his head. Rabbi Chiya said, "Who covers your eyes with dust, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, for while you are in your place you shake the upper mountains, and even the birds of heaven, and all rejoice in your words! Woe to the world in that hour when you shall depart from it.
Torat Emet / Rav Pinhas Reuven — CC BY-NC-SA 2.5
in Hebrew