The Zohar. Pritzker Edition. Vol. 3: Pritzker Edition, Volume Three - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0804752109 ISBN 13: 9780804752107

Verlag: Stanford University Press, 2005

Inhaltsangabe

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.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

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.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

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.

Aus dem Klappentext

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.

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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,...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Stanford University Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2005
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0804752109
• ISBN 13: 9780804752107
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 586
• Herausgeber: Matt Daniel Chanan
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Mare Nostrum Group B.V.; gpsr@mare-nostrum.co.uk; ; Doelen 72; Breda; 4831 GR; Niederlande