Rashbi – Works[1]

The Zohar is popularly known as the “Bible of the Kabbala.” Its pre-eminent place in Jewish mysticism does not derive solely from its antiquity or its authorship. Other basic works of the Kabbala, like Sefer Yetzira and Sefer Habahir, are of earlier origin. The Zohar's importance must rather be attributed also to its comprehensiveness, becoming the source for practically all the later authoritative Kabbalistic teachings of the school of R. Yitzchak Luria and others. Shalshelet HaKabbala[2] maintains that the Zohar currently in our possession is a mere fraction of the original work. The entire work of the Zohar was so large that it would constitute an entire camel-load.

The Zohar itself attributes its disclosure of the Torah’s mysteries to R. Shimon bar Yochai (known by the acronym Rashbi), the second-century Tanna who is the central master in the Zohar, and his Chevraya, [3] i.e., the group of his close associates:[4] his son R. Elazar; his scribe R. Abba; R. Yehudah; R. Yossi ben Yaakov; R. Yitzchak; R. Chizkiyah; R. Chiya; R. Yossi; and R. Yaakov bar Idi.[5] Rabbi Shimon himself apparently wrote some of the Zohar, described as “the First Mishnah,”[6] while hiding in a cave from the Roman authorities who wanted to execute him. The Zohar affirms that one of Rashbi’s foremost disciples, Rabbi Abba, recorded the bulk of his teachings.[7] In addition, early sources state that the composition of the Zohar extended over the period of Rashbi, his disciples and their disciples[8] who recorded many of the teachings passed on orally from Rabbi Shimon to his close associates and disciples. Thus its authorship spanned several generations.

The present form of the Zohar, in order of the parshiyot of the Torah, is of a much later date, most likely from the period of the Geonim, and there are some interpolations from these late editors.[9]

The Zohar was concealed for many centuries, as the study of the Kabbala was restricted to a select few qualified individuals. It became revealed only in the thirteenth century and was published by one of the leading kabbalists living in Spain, Rabbi Moshe de Leon. Some believed that the Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman c. 4955-5030 (1194-1270 CE), himself a renowned Kabbalist, had sent them from Israel by ship to his son in Catalonia, but the ship had been diverted and the texts ended up in the hands of Rabbi Moshe de Leon.[10]

Others explained that these manuscripts had been hidden in a vault for a thousand years and had been discovered by an Arabian king who sent them to Toledo to be deciphered. Some maintained that Spanish conquistadors had discovered the manuscripts of the Zohar among many others in an academy in Heidelberg.[11] Other explanations have also been offered.

The mystics ascribe special potency to the study of the Zohar: it effects a nullification of evil decrees, eases the travails of galut, hastens the redemption, and draws forth Divine effluence and blessings.[12] There is great merit even in the mere recitation of the sacred texts of the Zohar, even though one does not understand them.[13]

Ideally an effort is to be made to understand and comprehend the texts.[14] The language of the Zohar, however, is abstruse, aside from the difficulty of its mystical principles and ideas. The greater part of the Zohar is written in Aramaic. This led to various attempts to translate the Zohar into Hebrew. There were several old translations, such as one by the renowned R. Israel ibn Al-Nakavah in the fourteenth century[15] and by one R. Berachiel, apparently around the sixteenth century.[16] R. Chaim Vital, the principal disciple of R. Isaac Luria, refers to a Hebrew translation[17] that may possibly be one of these two.

In the past century, Rabbi Yehuda Rosenberg composed a Hebrew translation of s selection of texts, as did Rabbi Shemuel Kipnis at a later date. Both of these rearranged the contents of the Zohar in order of the Scriptural verses and omitted the more difficult mystical passages, thus leaving the greater part of the Zohar untranslated. Most recently, there is an excellent Hebrew translation by Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag, following the complete text of the Zohar, with the insertion of his own commentary.[18] There is also an English translation published by the Soncino Press, however it is not only incomplete but also oftentimes incorrect. A new authoritative English translation (also arranged in order of the scriptural verses) has been started by Rabbi Moshe Miller

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The Structure of the Zohar

Although the Zohar is generally referred to as a single multi-volume work, comprising Zohar, Tikunei Zohar and Zohar Chadash, it is actually a compilation of several smaller treatises or sub-sections – approximately twenty main sections. These are:

The main bulk of the Zohar, sometimes also called Midrash HaZohar, written as commentary on sections and passages of the Torah.

1) Sifra d’Tzniuta, or “Book of Concealed Matters.” This is a commentary on Bereishit – the first section (parsha) of the Book of Bereishit (Zohar II, 176b-179a).

2) Idra Rabba, or Greater Assembly. In it Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai reveals the mysteries of the extremely recondite passages of the Sifra d’Tzniuta to his disciples (Zohar III, 127b-145a).

3) Idra Zuta, or Lesser Assembly. Here the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and the teachings which he revealed just prior to his death, are described. The methodology of the Zohar’s redaction is also described briefly (Zohar III, 287b-296b). We will discuss this point at length shortly.

4) Idra de-bei Mishkana, the Assembly in which the section of the Torah dealing with the Tabernacle is discussed (Zohar II, 127ab-146b).

5) Razin d’Razin, the “Secret of Secrets,” or “Mystery of Mysteries” discusses chochmat ha-partzuf (the “wisdom of the countenance” – i.e., how to “read” a person’s character etc. from his facial features) and chochmat ha-yad (palmistry) (Zohar II, 70a-78a; Zohar Chadash 35b-37c).

6) Heichalot, a description of the seven chambers of light perceived by the mystic during prayer, or by a righteous person as his soul passes away from this world and ascends on high (Zohar I, 38a-45b and Zohar II, 244b-268b).

7) Matnitin and Tosefta, are brief statement of Kabbalistic principles which are explained more fully in the sections which follow them. (These are spread throughout all three volumes of the Zohar and are also found in several places in the Zohar Chadash. See below).

8) Raya Mehemna, “the Faithful Shepherd,” a Kabbalistic exposition of the commandments and prohibitions of the Torah (scattered throughout vols. 2 and 3. The bulk of the Raya Mehemna can be found in Zohar II, 114a-1121a, III 97-104, 108b-112a, 121b-126a, 215a-259b, 270b-283a).

9) Sitrei Torah, “Secrets of the Torah,” a mystical interpretation of certain passages of the Torah (found in Zohar I, 74a-75b, 76b-80b, 88a-90a, 97a-102a, 108a-111a, 146b-149b[19]).

10) Midrash HaNe’elam, “Hidden Midrash,” on various sections of the Torah (Zohar Chadash 2b-30b; Zohar I 97a-140a; Zohar II, 4a-5b, 14a-22a) and on Shir HaShirim (Shir HaShirim)

11) Sava d’Mishpatim, the wisdom of an old man who reveals the secrets of reincarnation and transmigration contained in the section of the Torah dealing with the laws governing the Hebrew slave (Zohar II, 94b-114a).

12) Yenuka, “The Child.” The discourse of a young child who reveals mysteries of the Torah (Zohar III, 186a-192a).

13) Rav Metivta, a description of a journey through the Garden of Eden, and a discourse on the destiny of souls (Zohar III, 161b-174a).

14) Zohar on Shir HaShirim, a Kabbalistic exposition of the Shir HaShirim (Zohar Chadash 61d-75a).

15) Kav HaMiddah, “The Measuring Rod.” Mystical insights into the Shema Yisrael prayer (Zohar Chadash 56d-58d)

16) Sitrei Otiot, “Mysteries of the Letters.” An exposition of the secrets of the Hebrew alphabet (Zohar Chadash 1-9).

17) Tikkunei Zohar and addenda. Discussing seventy permutations of the first word of the Torah – Bereishit, and commentaries on various other sections of Scripture.

18) Zohar Chadash, commentary on the Torah and on Shir HaShirim, Ruth, Eichah (Lamentations). The section on Shir HaShirim is actually part of the Midrash HaNe’elam.

[1]. Adapted from Zohar, Introduction, Rabbi Moshe Miller; and Rabbi Immanuel Schochet’s Foreword to Zohar.

[2]. p. 31b.

[3]. Tikunei Zohar 1a; Zohar Chadash, Tikunim, 93d.

[4]. Tikunei Zohar 1a; Zohar Chadash, Tikunim, 93d.

[5]. Zohar II, 152b; ibid. III, 127b and 287b. See R. Abraham Azulay, Foreword to Or Hachamah, p. [2d]. See there also for a list of other authorities cited in the Zohar.

[6]. Chabura Kadmaa mentioned in Zohar III, p. 219a.

[7]. Zohar II, 123b. See also ibid. III, 287b and 296b.

[8]. R. Abraham Zaccuti, Sefer Yuchassin, ed. Philipowski, s.v. R. Shimon ben Yochai, p. 45a; cited by R. Abraham Azulay, ad loc. cit.; and see also R. Yechiel Heilperin, Seder Hadorot, s.v. R. Shimon ben Yochai.

[9]. R. Abraham Galanti (disciple of R. Moshe Cordovero., commentary on Zohar I, 168a, in Or Hachamah, Bereishit, p. 159b. Note R. Shalom Buzaglio, Mikdash Melech on Zohar III, 247a, s.v. vedibura kadma’ah. Cf. also R. Abraham ben R. Eliyahu, Rav Pe’alim, s.v. Zohar; and R. David Luria, Kadmut Sefer HaZohar, sect. III and IV.

[10]. Shem HaGedolim, Chida Sefarim, Zayin, 8.

[11]. Shem HaGedolim, ibid.

[12]. See R. Abraham Azulay, Foreword to Or Hachamah, p. 2d.

[13]. R. Chaim David Azulay, Moreh Be’etzba II:43.

[14]. R. Shalom Buzaglio, Hadrat Melech on Zohar III, 124b; idem, Kissei Melech on Tikunei Zohar 6:23b; R. Menachem M. Schneerson of Lubavitch, Likkutei Sichot, vol. VII, p. 206ff.

[15]. Cited in R. Abraham Azulay’s introduction to Or Hachamah, p. [2b]. Note that R. Israel cited the Zohar numerous times in his Menorat Hama’or, mostly in Hebrew translation.

[16]. The manuscript is found in the Oxford Library. The first part, to the end of parshat Bereishit, was published, Petach Tikvah 1946.

[17]. Derech Emet on Zohar I, 34b.

[18]. Rabbi Ashlag translated the Zohar and the Biblical parts of Zohar Chadash. His disciple Rabbi Yehudah Tzvi Brandwein continued his work by translating the addenda to the Zohar and the Tikunei Zohar up to folio 68b, and the remainder of Tikunei Zohar was translated by Rabbi Mordechai Scheinberger.

[19] . According to some, the section of Zohar I, 15a-22b is the Sitrei Torah on Bereishit..