זוהר ויקרא — דף סה ע”א
Summary
Rabbi Shimon said: Happy is the portion of one who comes with the Matronita at the hour when she comes to receive the presence of the King to speak with Him, and who is found with her at the hour when the King extends His right hand to receive the Matronita. This is what is written (Psalms 139): "If I take the wings of the dawn, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea." What is "the uttermost part of the sea"? That is the hour of the end of that day. For when it divided, it was the beginning, and it was Judgment; but now the end belongs to her, for her acts of Judgment depart, and she enters under the wings of the King, she and all who unite with her at that hour. This is what is written: "If I take the wings of the dawn... in the uttermost parts of the sea."
And we have learned: all those who occupy themselves with Torah at the hour when the night is divided take part with the Shekhinah. And when morning comes and the Matronita unites with the King, he is found with her, with the King, and the King spreads His wings over them all. This is what is written (ibid. 42): "By day the Lord commands His loving-kindness, and in the night His song is with me," etc.
We have learned: at that hour the Patriarchs gather with the Matronita, come forward to speak with her and to join with her, and the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks of them with her, and calls her to spread His wings over her. This is what is written (ibid. 50): "A psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken and called the earth," etc. "The Mighty One" (El) — this is the light of Wisdom, called Chesed (Loving-kindness). "God" (Elohim) — this is Gevurah (Judgment). "YHVH" — this is the completeness of all, Rachamim (Mercy). And concerning this: "has spoken, and called the earth," etc.
Rabbi Elazar sat before Rabbi Shimon, his father. He said to him: You said that Elohim, in every place, is Judgment — Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh — and yet there is a place called Elohim, as in Adonai YHVH. Why is it called Elohim, when the letters are everywhere the letters of Mercy? He said to him: So it is written in Scripture, as is written (Deuteronomy 4): "And you shall know this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord He is God," and it is written (1 Kings 18): "The Lord, He is God." He said to him: This I know, that in the place where there is Judgment there is Mercy, and sometimes in the place where there is Mercy there is Judgment. He said to him: Come and see that it is indeed so — YHVH is everywhere Mercy. But when the wicked turn Mercy into Judgment, then it is written YHVH, yet they call it Elohim.
But come and see the secret of the matter: there are three grades, and each grade stands by itself, although all is one and bound together in that unity, never separating one from another. Come and see: all the plantings and all the luminaries are lit, kindled, kiss one another and are blessed from that river which overflows and issues forth, in which everything is comprised, and in which everything is included. This river is called "Mother" to the garden and above the garden, because Eden joins with her and is never separated from her. And therefore all the springs go forth, overflow, kiss on every side, and open gateways in her; therefore Mercy is found in her, and Mercy is opened in her. And because she is called Mother, female, Gevurah, Judgment issues from her. She is called Mercy alone, yet from her side judgments are stirred, and therefore it is written with the letters of Mercy but vocalized according to Judgment — as with YHVH. This is one grade. The second grade: from this first grade issues and is stirred another grade called Gevurah, and this is called Elohim. And the first is set within Ze'ir Anpin, and is held fast within it. And because this one is held to that one, it is written "the Lord is God" — "for the Lord, He is God" — within the letters of Elohim the second grade is formed. The third grade: Tzedek (Righteousness), the final crown, the court of the King. And we have learned that Adonai is so written and so called, and the Community of Israel is called by this name, and this name reaches its completion in this place. These are the three grades called by the names of Judgment, and all are bound one to another without separation, as we have explained.
He said to him: If it please my father, I have heard concerning this that it is written (Exodus 3): "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (I Am That I Am)," without stopping there. He said to him: Elazar, my son, the companions have already explained this, and now, with a single word, everything is bound together.
And we have learned: all those who occupy themselves with Torah at the hour when the night is divided take part with the Shekhinah. And when morning comes and the Matronita unites with the King, he is found with her, with the King, and the King spreads His wings over them all. This is what is written (ibid. 42): "By day the Lord commands His loving-kindness, and in the night His song is with me," etc.
We have learned: at that hour the Patriarchs gather with the Matronita, come forward to speak with her and to join with her, and the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks of them with her, and calls her to spread His wings over her. This is what is written (ibid. 50): "A psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken and called the earth," etc. "The Mighty One" (El) — this is the light of Wisdom, called Chesed (Loving-kindness). "God" (Elohim) — this is Gevurah (Judgment). "YHVH" — this is the completeness of all, Rachamim (Mercy). And concerning this: "has spoken, and called the earth," etc.
Rabbi Elazar sat before Rabbi Shimon, his father. He said to him: You said that Elohim, in every place, is Judgment — Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh — and yet there is a place called Elohim, as in Adonai YHVH. Why is it called Elohim, when the letters are everywhere the letters of Mercy? He said to him: So it is written in Scripture, as is written (Deuteronomy 4): "And you shall know this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord He is God," and it is written (1 Kings 18): "The Lord, He is God." He said to him: This I know, that in the place where there is Judgment there is Mercy, and sometimes in the place where there is Mercy there is Judgment. He said to him: Come and see that it is indeed so — YHVH is everywhere Mercy. But when the wicked turn Mercy into Judgment, then it is written YHVH, yet they call it Elohim.
But come and see the secret of the matter: there are three grades, and each grade stands by itself, although all is one and bound together in that unity, never separating one from another. Come and see: all the plantings and all the luminaries are lit, kindled, kiss one another and are blessed from that river which overflows and issues forth, in which everything is comprised, and in which everything is included. This river is called "Mother" to the garden and above the garden, because Eden joins with her and is never separated from her. And therefore all the springs go forth, overflow, kiss on every side, and open gateways in her; therefore Mercy is found in her, and Mercy is opened in her. And because she is called Mother, female, Gevurah, Judgment issues from her. She is called Mercy alone, yet from her side judgments are stirred, and therefore it is written with the letters of Mercy but vocalized according to Judgment — as with YHVH. This is one grade. The second grade: from this first grade issues and is stirred another grade called Gevurah, and this is called Elohim. And the first is set within Ze'ir Anpin, and is held fast within it. And because this one is held to that one, it is written "the Lord is God" — "for the Lord, He is God" — within the letters of Elohim the second grade is formed. The third grade: Tzedek (Righteousness), the final crown, the court of the King. And we have learned that Adonai is so written and so called, and the Community of Israel is called by this name, and this name reaches its completion in this place. These are the three grades called by the names of Judgment, and all are bound one to another without separation, as we have explained.
He said to him: If it please my father, I have heard concerning this that it is written (Exodus 3): "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (I Am That I Am)," without stopping there. He said to him: Elazar, my son, the companions have already explained this, and now, with a single word, everything is bound together.
Torat Emet / Rav Pinhas Reuven — CC BY-NC-SA 2.5
in Hebrew