The Zohar: Pritzker Edition (3) - Couverture rigide

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0804752109 ISBN 13 : 9780804752107

Editeur : Stanford University Press, 2005

Synopsis

This third volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition completes the Zohar's commentary on the book of Genesis. Here we find spiritual explorations of numerous biblical narratives, including Jacob's wrestling with the angel, Joseph's kidnapping by his brothers, his near seduction by Potiphar's wife, his interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams, and his reunion with his brothers and father.

Throughout, the Zohar probes the biblical text and seeks deeper meaning—for example, the divine intention behind Joseph's disappearance, or the profound significance of human sexuality. Divine and human realities intertwine, affecting one another.

Toward the end of Genesis, the Bible states: Jacob's days drew near to die—an idiomatic expression that the Zohar insists on reading hyperliterally. Each human being is challenged to live his days virtuously. If he does, those days themselves are woven into a garment of splendor; at death, they "draw near," enveloping him, escorting him to the beyond.

Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Radiance) has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged mysteriously in medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteenth century. Written in a unique Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.

A propos du livre

À propos des auteurs

Daniel C. Matt is a leading authority on Jewish mysticism. For over twenty years, he served as Professor of Jewish Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has also taught at Stanford University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has published six books, including The Essential Kabbalah; Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment; Zohar: Annotated and Explained; and God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality. Matt is also the translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volume One, winner of the National Jewish Book Award, and The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volume Two, winner, along with Volume One, of the Koret Jewish Book Award. He spent the years 1998-2002 in Jerusalem working on this translation and currently lives in Berkeley, California.

Daniel C. Matt is a leading authority on Jewish mysticism. For over twenty years, he served as Professor of Jewish Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has also taught at Stanford University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has published six books, including The Essential Kabbalah; Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment; Zohar: Annotated and Explained; and God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality. Matt is also the translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volume One, winner of the National Jewish Book Award, and The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volume Two, winner, along with Volume One, of the Koret Jewish Book Award. He spent the years 1998-2002 in Jerusalem working on this translation and currently lives in Berkeley, California.

À propos de la quatrième de couverture

“Daniel Matt's translation of the Zohar is a masterful approach to one of the most enchanting and intriguing texts of religious literature. . . . This new volume will be read and reread with delight and fervor by teachers and students alike.”—Elie Wiesel
“An epochal event. . . . This work of learning will free us from the errors and misrepresentations that have long existed in almost all the popular accounts of the Zohar. We shall have this text in which the Zohar appears in all of its spiritual depth.”—Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg

This third volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition completes the Zohar’s commentary on the book of Genesis. Here we find spiritual explorations of numerous biblical narratives, including Jacob’s wrestling with the angel, Joseph’s kidnapping by his brothers, his near seduction by Potiphar’s wife, his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, and his reunion with his brothers and father.
Throughout, the Zohar probes the biblical text and seeks deeper meaning—for example, the divine intention behind Joseph’s disappearance, or the profound significance of human sexuality. Divine and human realities intertwine, affecting one another.
Toward the end of Genesis, the Bible states: Jacob’s days drew near to die—an idiomatic expression that the Zohar insists on reading hyperliterally. Each human being is challenged to live his days virtuously. If he does, those days themselves are woven into a garment of splendor; at death, they “draw near,” enveloping him, escorting him to the beyond.
Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Radiance) has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged mysteriously in medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteenth century. Written in a unique Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.

À propos de la deuxième de couverture

This third volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition completes the Zohar s commentary on the book of Genesis. Here we find spiritual explorations of numerous biblical narratives, including Jacob s wrestling with the angel, Joseph s kidnapping by his brothers, his near seduction by Potiphar s wife, his interpretation of Pharaoh s dreams, and his reunion with his brothers and father.
Throughout, the Zohar probes the biblical text and seeks deeper meaning for example, the divine intention behind Joseph s disappearance, or the profound significance of human sexuality. Divine and human realities intertwine, affecting one another.
Toward the end of Genesis, the Bible states: Jacob s days drew near to die an idiomatic expression that the Zohar insists on reading hyperliterally. Each human being is challenged to live his days virtuously. If he does, those days themselves are woven into a garment of splendor; at death, they draw near, enveloping him, escorting him to the beyond.
Sefer ha-Zohar (The Book of Radiance) has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged mysteriously in medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteenth century. Written in a unique Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.

Extrait. © Reproduit sur autorisation. Tous droits réservés.

The ZOHAR

By Daniel C. Matt

STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Copyright © 2006 Zohar Education Project, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8047-5210-7

Contents

Diagram of the Ten Sefirot....................................ixPreface DANIEL C. MATT.......................................XiParashat Va-Yishlah (Genesis 32:4-36:43)......................1Parashat Va-Yeshev (Genesis 37:1-40:23).......................85Parashat Mi-Qets (Genesis 41:1-44:17).........................180Parashat Va-Yiggash (Genesis 44:18-47:27).....................258Parashat Va-Yhi (Genesis 47:28-50:26).........................302Abbreviations.................................................549Transliteration of Hebrew and Aramaic.........................551Glossary......................................................553Bibliography..................................................559Index of Sources..............................................569

Chapter One

Parashat Va-Yishlah

"HE SENT" (GENESIS 32:4-36:43)

Jacob sent [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (mal'akhim), messengers, ahead of him ... (Genesis 32:4).

Rabbi Yehudah opened, "For He will command [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (mal'akhav), His angels, to guard you in all your ways (Psalms 91:11). This verse has been established: The moment a human being comes into the world, the evil impulse appears along with him, inciting him constantly, as is said: At the opening sin crouches (Genesis 4:7)-evil impulse. David too called it `sin,' since it causes one to sin in the presence of his Lord, as is written: My sin confronts me constantly (Psalms 51:5). This never leaves a person from the day he is born, forever, whereas the good impulse accompanies a person from the day he begins to purify himself. When is that? When he becomes thirteen years old. Then he joins with both of them, one on the right and one on the left: good impulse on the right, evil impulse on the left. These are two real angels, empowered, accompanying a person constantly.

"If one comes to purify himself, that evil impulse is overturned, and right prevails over left-both joining to guard him in all the paths he takes, as is said: For He will command His angels to guard you in all your ways."

Rabbi El'azar applies this verse to Jacob, for the blessed Holy One designated camps of angels for him because he came completed by supernal tribes, all fittingly complete, as is said: Jacob went on his way, and angels of God encountered him (Genesis 32:2), as has been explained. Here, since he was saved from Laban and separated from him, Shekhinah coupled with him and sacred camps came to encircle him; so [166a] when he saw them, Jacob said, ["This is the camp of [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (Elohim), God!"] (ibid., 3). Some of those angels he sent to Esau, as is written: Jacob sent [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (mal'akhim)-angels, literally!

Rabbi Yitshak said, "The angel of YHVH encamps around those in awe of Him and delivers them (Psalms 34:8). This has been established, but in one place is written For He will command His angels-many angels-whereas here one: the angel of YHVH. Because His angels are the other angels, whereas angel of YHVH is Shekhinah, as is said: The angel of YHVH appeared to him in a flame of fire ... (Exodus 3:a). So the angel of YHVH encamps around those in awe of Him, completely encompassing him to save him. And when Shekhinah abides within a person, countless holy camps manifest there.

"Come and see: King David proclaimed this when he was saved from Achish king of Gath, because Shekhinah encircled him, delivering him from Achish and his people, all those attacking him. What is written? [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (Va-yitholel), He played the lunatic, while in their hands (1 Samuel 21:14). Why va-yitholel? The verse should read: [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (va-yishtagge'a), He played the madman, as is said: that you should bring this one [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (le-hishtagge'a), to play the madman, in my presence? (ibid., 16). However, it reverts to the word David uttered previously: For I envied [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (holelim), lunatics (Psalms 73:3).

"The blessed Holy One said to him, `By your life! You will yet need this."

"When he entered the abode of Achish and was attacked, what is written? Va-yitholel, He played the lunatic, like those holelim, lunatics, he had previously envied. Then Shekhinah came and encircled David.

"Now, you might say `Shekhinah abides only in Her heritage: the Holy Land." Well, certainly She does not abide so as to be imbibed, but to protect-that is different!" So here, when Jacob came from Laban's abode, all those holy camps accompanied him."

Rabbi Hizkiyah said, "If all those holy camps accompanied him, why is it written Jacob was left alone (Genesis 32:25)? For if Shekhinah or those holy camps were with him, he was not left alone! So why Jacob was left alone?

Rabbi Yehudah replied, "Because he exposed himself to danger-after seeing the danger with his own eyes-they separated from him. Then he said, I am shorn of all the kindness and faithfulness (ibid., 11) those holy camps separating from him."

Rabbi Yitshak said, "In order to leave him with the Prince of Esau, who arrived with permission; meanwhile they went off to utter song, since at that moment the time had come for them to praise the blessed Holy One. Later they returned, as is written: I am shorn of all the kindness and faithfulness ... and now I have become two camps (ibid.)-camp of Shekhinah and his entire household."

"Two camps, for he was complete on all sides, with two shares: white and red."

Rabbi El'azar said, "As has been said, that night, that hour, the dominion of the side of Esau prevailed," for look at what is written: Let there be [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (me'orot), lights (ibid. 1:14), spelled deficiently!" So Jacob was left alone-left alone because the moon was concealed from the sun. However, Shekhinah did not withdraw from him completely, so he could not prevail against him, as is written: He saw that he could not prevail against him (ibid. 32:26). He looked to the right and saw Abraham; he looked to the left and saw Isaac. He looked at the body and saw it comprising this side and that. So, when he saw that he could not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his thigh-one pillar supporting the torso, outside the torso.

"Therefore, The angel of YHVH encamps around those in awe of Him and delivers them. He encompassed him on all sides to save him. When Shekhinah dwelled within him, countless forces and camps accompanied him, and some of those angels he sent to Esau."

Jacob sent messengers.

Rabbi Abba said, "Now, why did he arouse Esau? He should have kept quiet. But Jacob thought, `I know how deeply Esau cares about honoring Father and has never irritated him; so I know that as long as Father is alive, I don't have to fear him. Rather, now that Father is alive, let me reconcile with him.' Immediately, Jacob sent messengers ahead of him."

Rabbi Shim'on opened, "Better to be lightly esteemed and have a servant than to be self-important and lack food (Proverbs 12:9). This verse was uttered concerning the evil impulse," [166b] for he constantly incites a person, inflating his heart and desire with conceit, so that he follows him, curling his hair, until he overwhelms him and drags him to Hell. Rather, better to be lightly esteemed: one who doesn't follow the evil impulse and is not conceited at all-humbling his spirit, heart, and desire before the blessed Holy One. Then that evil impulse is transformed into his servant, incapable of dominating him-rather, dominated by him, as is said: You will rule over him (Genesis 4:7).

"Than to be self-important, as we have said, for he adores himself, curling his hair, inflating his spirit, while lacking food-lacking faith, as is said: food of his God, food of their God (Leviticus 21:22, 6).

"Alternatively, Better to be lightly esteemed and have a servant-Jacob, who humbled his spirit before Esau so that eventually he would become his servant, ruled by him, fulfilling the verse: May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you ... (Genesis 27:29). So far, it was not his time at all, for Jacob had deferred it to the End of Days, so right now he was lightly esteemed, while later that self-important one will become his servant that one lacking food will serve the one endowed with abundance of grain and new wine (ibid., 28).

"Come and see: Therefore, since Jacob knew it was necessary, he changed into lightly esteemed, displaying more tortuous cunning than in all his other dealings with Esau. For if Esau had discovered this cunning, he would have killed himself rather than undergo this. But Jacob acted totally in wisdom, and concerning him Hannah exclaimed: The foes of YHVH will be shattered.... He will grant power to His king and raise the horn of His anointed (1 Samuel 2:10).

"He instructed them, saying, `So shall you say: "To my lord Esau, so says your servant Jacob ..."' (Genesis 32:5). He immediately opened by turning himself into a servant, so that he wouldn't consider those blessings bestowed upon him by his father, which-as we have said-Jacob had deferred until later."

Rabbi Yehudah said, "What did Jacob have in mind in sending this message to Esau: With Laban I have sojourned (ibid.)? What did he accomplish by transmitting this word to Esau? The answer is that Laban the Aramean's fame had spread throughout the world: no one was safe from him because he was a master magician, preeminent sorcerer, father of Beor who was father of Balaam-as is written: Balaam son of Beor, the augur (Joshua 13:22). Laban was more skilled than all of them in magic and sorcery, but even so, he could not prevail against Jacob, whom he sought to destroy with various devices, as is written: An Aramean was about to destroy my father! (Deuteronomy 26:5)."

Rabbi Abba said, "The entire world knew that Laban was the master wizard, magician, and sorcerer, and that whomever he wished to magically eliminate could not be saved. Everything Balaam knew derived from him, and of Balaam is written For I know that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed (Numbers 22:6). The whole world feared Laban and his sorcery, and the very first word Jacob sent to Esau was `With Laban I have sojourned. Now, if you think this was brief-a month or a year-not so! I tarried till now-for twenty years I tarried with him. And if you think I achieved nothing, I have acquired ox and donkey (Genesis, ibid., 6)'-two decrees of judgment that join together only to torment the world. Therefore it is written: Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together (Deuteronomy 22:10).

"Sheep and male and female slaves (Genesis, ibid.)-nethermost crowns slain by the blessed Holy One in Egypt: firstborn of the livestock, firstborn of the captive (Exodus 12:29), firstborn of the female slave (ibid. 11:5), as is written: sheep and male and female slaves. He was immediately frightened' and went out toward him-as frightened of Jacob as Jacob was of him.

"This can be compared to a person walking on the road. While he was walking, he heard about a certain robber lying in ambush. He encountered someone else and asked him, `Who do you belong to?'

"He replied, `I am from so-and-so's gang.'

"He exclaimed, `Get out of my way! If anyone comes near me, I bring out a snake and kill him.'

"That person returned to the gang leader and said, `Someone is coming-and anyone who approaches him gets bitten by a snake he brings out [1672], and dies!'

"When the gang leader heard, he became frightened, and said, `I better go out to him and appease him.'

"As soon as the person saw him coming, he said, `Woe is me! Now that gang leader is going to kill me!' He began bowing and prostrating himself before him.

"That gang leader said to himself, `If he really had a deadly snake, he wouldn't bow so much before me.' He started feeling proud, and said, `Since he bowed so low before me, I won't kill him.'

"Similarly, Jacob said, 'With Laban I have sojourned and I tarried till now-for twenty years I tarried with him, and I am carrying a deadly snake.'

"When Esau heard, he said, `Woe is me! Who can withstand him? Now Jacob will kill me with his mouth!"' He began going out toward him to appease him. As soon as he saw him, what is written? Jacob was very frightened and distressed (Genesis, ibid., 8). Approaching him, he began bowing and prostrating himself before him," as is written: He bowed to the ground seven times until he drew near his brother (ibid. 33:3). Esau said to himself, `If he really had so much, he wouldn't bow down to me.' He started feeling proud.

"Come and see what is written concerning Balaam: God came to Balaam at night (Numbers 22:20). Concerning Laban is written God came to Laban the Aramean in a night-dream and said to him, `Be careful [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (pen tedabber), not to speak, to Jacob either good or evil (Genesis 31:24). Pen tedabber, Not to speak-The verse should read: [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (pen ta'aseh), not to do, evil to Jacob. But Laban didn't pursue Jacob with manly power to wage war against him, since Jacob and his sons would have overwhelmed him; rather, to kill him by mouth, annihilating him entirely, as is written: An Aramean was about to destroy my father! (Deuteronomy 26:5). So, not to speak, rather than not to do.

"Then it is written: It is in my power to do you harm (Genesis, ibid., 29). It is in my power-how did he know he was capable? As is said: But the God of your father said to me last night, `Be careful not to speak ...' (ibid.).

"This is the testimony the blessed Holy One commanded to declare, as is written: [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (Ve-anita), You shall testify, and say before YHVH your God: An Aramean was about to destroy my father ... (Deuteronomy, ibid.). Ve-anita, You shall testify, as is said: [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (lo ta'aneh), you shall not testify, against your neighbor (Exodus 20 :13); [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (anah), he testified, against his brother (Deuteronomy 19:18).66

"Of Balaam is written He did not go, as time after time, in search of auguries (Numbers 24:1), for this was his habit, since he was an augur.

"Of Laban is written I have augured (ibid. 30:27), for he examined Jacob's affairs by means of divination and sorcery, and when he sought to annihilate Jacob, he did so by those same means. But the blessed Holy One did not allow him, as alluded to by his grandson Balaam: `For there is no augury against Jacob, no divination against Israel (Numbers 23:23). Who can prevail against them? For look, my grandfather sought to annihilate their ancestor with his augury and divination, but these failed him, since He did not allow him to curse,' as is written: For there is no augury against Jacob, no divination against Israel.

"Laban wielded against Jacob all ten types of sorcery and divination from dazzling dross of nethermost crowns, yet he could not prevail, as is written: You switched my wages ten [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (monim), times (ibid. 31:41), for Laban employed all those against him but they failed to harm him, as is written: He switched my wages ten monim, times, yet God has not let him harm me (ibid., 7). What is monim? As translated: [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (zinin), types," and it is written: to the demons after whom they [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (zonim), go whoring (Leviticus 17:7). Monim-[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (minim), types, literally! For there are ten types of sorcery and divination in the nether-most crowns, all of which he wielded against him-ten types, as is written: a diviner of divinations, a soothsayer, an augur, a sorcerer, one who casts a spell, or consults a ghost or a familiar spirit, or inquires of the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-11), totaling ten."

Rabbi Yose said, "Augury and divination are two types, attaining a single rung. When Balaam came, he wielded divination against Israel, as is written: with divinations in their hand (Numbers 22:7). Against Jacob, Laban came with augury, but both of these failed them, as is written: For there is no augury against Jacob, no divination against Israel. For there is no augury against Jacob-at first, in the days of Laban; no divination against Israel-later, in the days of Balaam.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The ZOHARby Daniel C. Matt Copyright © 2006 by Zohar Education Project, Inc.. Excerpted by permission.
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Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Stanford University Press
• Date d'édition: 2005
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0804752109
• ISBN 13: 9780804752107
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 586
• Éditeur: Matt Daniel Chanan
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Mare Nostrum Group B.V.; gpsr@mare-nostrum.co.uk; ; Doelen 72; Breda; 4831 GR; Pays-Bas