Idra Zuta Qadusha

LESSER HOLY ASSEMBLY

From the Book of Splendor (Sefer HaZohar)
The following translation is the Work of the Chariot edition of the Lesser Holy Assembly published in 1!"#$erses
from the Torah are written in Bold Italic# $erses from the Prophets and Writings and are written in Bold#
TRADITION: On the day that Rabbi Shimeon was destined to leave this world, he was
putting his afairs in order, when the companions entered his house. Present with him was
Rabbi Eleazar his son, and Rabbi bba, and the rest o! the companions. "he house was !ull.
#. Rabbi Shimeon raised his eyes and saw that the house was !ull.
$. Rabbi Shimeon wept and said, %On another occasion when & was sic', Rabbi (ineyas son o!
)ayar was present with me and remained until & had chosen my place, and li!e had been
restored to me until now. *hen & was restored, +re surrounded me, which hitherto has never
ceased, and no man entered unto me without permission, but now & see that it has stopped
and the house is !ull.%
,. *hile they were sitting, Rabbi Shimeon opened his eyes and saw what he saw, and +re
went around the house. "hey all went out e-cept !or Rabbi Eleazar his son and Rabbi bba.
"he rest o! the company stayed outside.
.. Rabbi Shimeon said to Rabbi Eleazar his son, %/o out and see i! Rabbi )itza0a1 is here, !or
& am his guarantor2 tell him that he should arrange my afairs, and that he should sit by my
side, he whose portion is worthy.
3. Rabbi Shimeon arose and sat and laughed and re4oiced2 he said, %*here are the
5ompanions6%
7. Rabbi Eleazar arose and brought them in, and they sat down in his presence, Rabbi
Shimeon li!ted his hands and prayed and was re4oicing, and he said: %8et those 5ompanions
who were in the !ormer ssembly meet here.%
9. "he others went out, and Rabbi Eleazar his son, and Rabbi bba and Rabbi )ehudah and
Rabbi )osi, son o! )a0a1ov and Rabbi 5hiya remained.
:. ;eanwhile Rabbi )itza0a1 entered, Rabbi Shimeon said to him, %<ow pleasant is your
portion, how much 4oy shall be added to you this day.% Rabbi bba was sitting behind his
shoulders, and Rabbi Eleazar !acing him.
=>. Rabbi Shimeon said, %?ow indeed is a time o! !avor, and & have to ascend without shame
to the world to come.%
==. %nd behold holy matters o! ?O" @LoA which previously have been revealed, & desire to
reveal be!ore the Bivine Presence o! ?O"2 lest they should say that & have 'ept bac'
anything, and that & le!t the world de+cient. (or even until now these things have been
concealed in my heart, so that having entered into these very matters & may be with them in
the world to come. Cut this is my arrangement o! you: Rabbi bba shall write, and Rabbi
Eleazar my son, study, and the rest o! the 5ompanions in silence meditate in their hearts2
Rabbi bba arose !rom behind his shoulders and Rabbi Eleazar his son sat in !ront o! him2 he
said. %rise my son, !or another shall sit in that place2% Rabbi Eleazar arose. Rabbi Shimeon
wrapped himsel! and sat down2 he opened and said @Psalms ==.A: %The dead shall NOT-
praise YH. And all who will go down in silence.% %The dead will NOT-praise YH,% here
it is certain who is called %dead,% !or the <oly One, blessed be <e, is called %8iving%
@ChayyimA, and <e is commemorated among those who are called living, and ?O" among
the people who are called dead.
=#. nd it is written in the latter part o! this verse, %nd all who will go down into silence,%
and all those who descend to silence remain in Gehinnom.
=$. "here is another reason pertaining to those who are called %living,% !or the <oly One,
blessed be <e, desires their glory.
=,. Rabbi Shimeon said, %<ow diferent it now is !rom when we were in the !ormer
ssembly.%
=.. (or there was present the <oly One, blessed be <e, with <is 5hariot @MerkabahA.
=3. Cut now the <oly One, blessed be <e, is here, and <e comes with those righteous ones
who are in the /arden o! Eden @Gan AdenA, which did not happen at the !ormer ssembly.
=7. nd the <oly One, blessed be <e, cares !or the honor o! the righteous more than !or <is
own honor, as it is written in the case o! Deroboam, who ofered incense and worshipped
idols. nd the <oly One, blessed be <e, was longEsufering with him2 but because he
e-tended his hand against &do the prophet, his hand became withered2 !or it is written @I
Kings =$.,A: %And his hand became withered.%
=9. <ere it is not written that it was because he worshipped idols, but because he e-tended
his hand against &do the prophet.
=:. nd now the <oly One, blessed be <e, wants our honor, and they all come with <im.
#>. <e said, indeed, Rab <amnuna the elder is here and around him are seventy righteous
ones represented in his circle, each one with the splendor o! the brightness o! the <oly
ncient One, ;ystery o! all ;ysteries.
#=. nd he comes to hear with 4oy these things which & will say.
##. nd when he had sat down...
#$. <e said, %Cehold Rabbi (ineyas, son o! )ayer is here, ma'e ready his place2 the
companions who were there trembled greatly, and they arose and sat down in the lower part
o! the house.
#,. nd Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi bba remained with Rabbi Shimeon.
#.. &n the !ormer ssembly & !ound that the whole company spo'e, as & did.
#3. ?ow & alone will spea'.
#7. nd they will all listen to my words both those in heaven and on earth.
#9. *orthy is my portion today.
#:. Rabbi Shimeon opened and said @ong o! ongs7A: %I am m" #elo$ed%s& and His
desire will arise.%
$>. ll the days that & was per!umed in this world, & was per!umed with One per!ume,
namely the <oly One, blessed be <e, and there!ore, now %<is desire will arise.%
$=. (or <e <imsel! and <is whole holy company come, so that with 4oy they may hear the
secret words, and the praise o! <im, the ;ost <oly ncient One.
$#. ;ystery o! all mysteries.
$$. Separate and set apart !rom all, and ?O" separate.
$,. (or everything is 4oined in )<,
nd <e @HuA is 4oined within all,
<e is all,
"he ncient One o! all ncient Ones,
;ystery o! all mysteries,
5on!ormed and ?O" con!ormed.
$.. <e is !ormed in all that endures, and ?O" con!ormed in all that is ?O" mani!est.
$3. *hen <e is con!ormed, <e produces nine lights, which shine !orth !rom <im, !rom <is
con!ormations, and those lights shine !rom <im and are lit !rom <im and they proceed and
are spread out in all directions.
$7. s a lamp !rom which 8ight is spread out in all directions.
$9. nd as those rays which spread out, when they are approached to 'now them, are ?O"
!ound, e-cept !or the lamp alone2 so is <e, the <oly ncient One, the highest lamp, mystery
o! all mysteries.
$:. nd <e is ?O" !ound, e-cept !or those rays that are e-tended, those that are revealed,
and those that are revealed and hidden.
,>. nd they are called the <oly ?ame, and there!ore are all things One @EchadA. nd what
our companions said in the !ormer boo's, that these are degrees that had been created and
the <oly ncient One was revealed in every single one o! them, because these are the
con+rmations o! the <oly ncient One.
,=. ?ow is not the time !or these things !or & have said them in the <oly ssembly.
,#. nd & have seen *hat @MahA o! ?O", which & 'new until now, and & have hidden the
matters o! my heart.
,$. nd now & alone will describe these things be!ore the <oly Fing, and all those worthy o!
truth who have come to hear these things.
,,. S'ull o! the *hite <ead has beginning and end in ?O", the sphere whose parts are
e-tended and illumined and !rom which the 4ust shall inherit !our hundred special worlds in
the world to come.
,.. (rom this sphere with parts, which is the *hite S'ull @Gast (aceA, dew drops every day
onto Small (ace to the place which is called %<eaven,% and where the dead are waiting ready
to be revived in the time to come, as it is written @Torah B'reshith ,.#9A: %Therefore
Elohim will give you of the dew of Heaven.%
,3. nd <is <ead @RoshA is +lled with that dew, and !rom Small (ace it drops to the +eld o!
apples, and all the +eld o! apples shines !rom that dew.
,7. <e, the ;ost <oly ncient One, is hidden and concealed.
,9. nd the supernal wisdom is !ound in that S'ull,
(ound and !ound as ?O"2
&n <im, the ncient One, ?othing, is revealed e-cept the <ead alone,
Cecause it is the <ead o! all <eads.
,:. "he supernal wisdom, which is the <ead within )od y, is hidden therein, and is called the
supernal brain,
.>. "he hidden brain,
.=. "he tran1uil and calm brain,
.#. O! which ?one 'nows e-cept hy, the Son <imsel!.
.$. "hree <eads have been !ormed within the other.
.,. nd One is above the other.
... "he <ead @RoshA o! One is the hidden wisdom which is covered and opened up in ?O",
and this wisdom is mysterious, the <ead o! all <eads o! the other wisdoms.
.3. "he <ead o! bove, <oly ncient One, mystery o! all mysteries.
.7. <ead o! all <eads,
"he <ead which is o! ?O",
Fnown as ?O".
*hat is 'nowable in the <ead is ?O" connected with wisdom
nd ?O" connected with understanding.
.9. nd concerning this, read @#ala' =.9=A: %(lee to "o)r place.%
.: @*+e,iel =A: %And the -ha"ot ran and ret)rned,%
3>. nd !or this reason the <oly ncient One is called ?O".
3=. "<" @AsherA in hy depends on ?O".
3#. nd all those hairs,
3$. nd all those threads go out !rom the hidden brain, and they are all disposed in the
weight.
3,. nd ?O" is seen as the bac' Ho! Small (aceI, 88 <E @Kol HuA.
3.. Cecause this <oly ncient One is within One !ormJ
33. Everything is in 4oy, and <e does not change <is mercy !orever, in thirteen measures o!
mercy is <e !ound.
37. nd <e, the ncient One, includes them and rules over all.
39. One, which shines in the midst o! the hairs going !orth !rom the s'ull, is that path by
whose light the righteous are led into the world to come, as it is written @Pro$erbs ,A: %And
the path o! the righteo)s is as a shining light...%
3:. nd concerning this it is written @Isaiah .9A: %Yo) will delight "o)rsel! in the .ord
YH/H.%
7>. nd !rom this path all the other paths that depend on the Small 5ountenance are
illumined.
7=. "his ncient One is elder o! elders.
7#. @<e is theKA highest 5rown o! above with which are adorned in )< all adornments and
crowns.
7$. nd !rom <im are all the lights illuminated, and they shine2 but <e, <e is the Supreme
8ight, which is hidden and 'nown as ?O".
7,. @nd all other lights are 'indled by <im and shine.A
7.. "his ncient One is !ound in three heads and they are included in one <ead.
73. nd <e <imsel! is the supreme <ead, highest o! the highest.
77. nd because the <oly ncient One is !ormed in three, so also, all the other lights that
shine !rom <im are !ormed into three.
79. (urther, the ncient One is engraved in two.
7:. "his is the division o! the ncient One into two.
9>. "he 5rown @KeterA is the highest o! the high ones, <ead o! all <eads.
9=. nd <E <imsel! is that Superior <ead, which is 'nown as ?O".
9#. So are all the other lights hidden in the two.
9$. (urther, the <oly ncient One is !ormed and hidden in One,
nd <e is One,
nd all are "hat One @Asher EchadA,
"hus all the other lights are sancti+ed, are restricted, and are glori+ed in One,
nd they are One.
9,. "he !orehead which is uncovered in the <oly ncient One,
&s called %/race @Ratzon, also *illA.%
(or that Supernal <ead,
5oncealed in the higher which is 'nown as ?O",
n ornamented, comely, per!umed prince
*hich is contained in the !orehead.
9.. nd because the /race o! all /races is per!ected in the !orehead and revealed in that
direction, this !orehead is called %/race.%
93. nd this /race is revealed.
97. "he /race o! /races is !ound in all worlds, and all the prayers o! the in!eriors are
accepted, and the countenance o! Small (ace is illuminated.
99. nd everything is !ound to be mercy and all 4udgments are concealed, and upset on the
Sabbath at the time o! the a!ternoon prayers, which is the time when all 4udgments are
awa'ened. nd this !orehead is revealed, and all 4udgments are upset and mercy is
mani!ested in all the worlds.
9:. nd because o! this the Sabbath e-ists without heavenly or earthly 4udgments, and even
the +re o! /ehinnom is stilled in its place, and the guilty have repose.
:>. nd to this is added a soul o! 4oy on the Sabbath, and men should re4oice in the three
Sabbath meals !or all !aith and the sum o! !aith is therein mani!ested.
:=. nd men should prepare a dish and eat...
:#. "hree meals o! !aith, and re4oice in them.
:$. Rabbi Shimeon said, %& call as witnesses on my behal! all those here assembled, that &
have never missed those three meals, and through them, & have never had to !ast on the
Sabbath, nor even on wee'days. <ow much less so on the Sabbath, !or he who has the
privilege o! them, has the privilege o! the completeness o! !aith!ulness6
:,. One is the meal o! the /reat ;other,
:.. One is the meal o! the <oly Fing,
:3. nd one is the meal o! the <oly ncient One, mystery o! all mysteries. nd in that world,
they will have the privilege o! them.
:7. *hen this /race is revealed, all 4udgments are upset in their se1uence.
"he per!ection o! the <oly ncient One is made in One Per!ection,
"he sum o! all Per!ections,
*hich is the upper secret wisdom,
"he sum o! all the others,
nd this is called the 0secret upper Eden.0
nd it is the brain o! the <oly ncient One,
nd this brain spreads out in all directions,
nd !rom it another Eden spreads out,
nd !rom this Eden, &t is shaped.
nd that secret head, which is in the head o! the ncient One, is 'nown as ?O".
*hen one manner, which is per!ected to shine, spreads out,
&t touches this brain.
nd &t is !ormed and made to shine with several lights,
nd &t goes out and engraves li'e this ornament which is in the (orehead.
nd a light, which is called 0/race0 is engraved in &t,
nd this /race is spread out to the Earth in the beard
s !ar as "hat Place which rests in the beard.
nd &t is called 0supernal loving 'indness,0
nd this is the preserving 'indness.
nd when this /race is uncovered,
ll the 8ords o! Dudgment behold &t, and are turned aside.
:9. "he eyes o! the <ead o! the <oly ncient One are two in one, e1ual, which are ever
watch!ul,
::. nd do not sleep, as it is written @Psalms =#=A: %The 0)ardian o! Israel shall not
sleep and not sl)mber,% meaning &srael the <oly2 and !or this reason <e has no eyelashes,
and no eyelids on the eyes.
=>>. "hat Crain is !ormed and shines with three supernal white brilliances.
=>=. *ith one white brilliance are the eyes o! Small (ace bathed, as it is written
@ong o! ongs .A: %swimming in mil,,% which is that primordial white brilliance, and the
other lights are bathed in and shine !rom the other white brilliances.
=>#. "he brain is called %the !ountain o! blessing2% the !ountain, because all blessings are
!ound therein.
=>$. nd this brain is lit with three white brilliances o! the eye.
=>,. On the eye depends the blessing o! )<, as it is written @Pro$erbs ##A: %0oodl" o! e"e&
he shall be blessed&% !or the white brilliance o! the eye depends on the brain.
=>.. *hen this eye loo's upon Small (ace @worldsA,
=>3. @a.v. %all the (ace shines with 4oy%A they all shine with 4oy.
=>7. @*ithA this eye <e restrains the Right <and2 by )< there is no 8e!t <and.
=>9. "he eyes o! below are right and le!t, two with two colors.
=>:. *e have taught in the #oo, o! THAT 1hich is -oncealed, that there is %)od above,
)od below.%
==>. %<eh above, <eh below.%
===. %Gav above, Gav below.%
==#. ll these ones o! above depend on the ncient One.
==$. "he ones o! below are in Small (ace.
==,. "hey are dependent on ?O", and these are actually in &t.
==.. nd they depend on the <oly ncient One.
==3. (or the ?ame o! the ncient One is concealed !rom all, and is !ound as ?O", e-cept in
those letters which depend on the ncient One, so that they should e-ist on Earth.
==7. nd i! it were not so, they would ?O" e-ist.
==9. nd !or this reason, the ?ame o! the <oly One is the Secret @dvc, SodA and "hat, which
is the Secret in relation to it, is revealed. (or the <oly ncient One is the Secret o! ll.
==:. nd "hat @HuA is revealed, and !rom "hat is Small (ace, and all these blessings o! the
secret eye are revealed, and those secret letters that are dependent are revealed.
=#>. "he nose, !rom the nose o! "his @ZehA, !rom the nostril to the chest on which the breath
o! li!e is blown to Small (ace.
=#=. nd !rom that opening o! the nose, !rom those openings o! the nostrils depends the
HsuperiorI <eh h, in order to establish the other in!erior <eh.
=##. nd this breath proceeds !rom the <idden Crain and She is called the Spirit o! 8i!e, and
through that Spirit will all men understand wisdom in the time o! Fing ;essiah.
=#$. s it is written @Isaiah ==A: %And the pirit o! the .ord YH/H shall rest )pon Him&
a pirit o! wisdom and )nderstanding...%
=#,. "his nose is li!e and per!ect 4oy in every part,
=#.. "he repose o! Spirit,
=#3. nd <ealth.
=#7. 5oncerning the nose o! Small (ace @as we have learned by traditionA,
it is written @Psalms =9.:A: %mo,e came o)t o! His nostrils...%
=#9. Cut it is written @Isaiah ,9.:A: %And !or m" praise& will I re!rain !rom "o).%
=#:. nd in the #oo, o! Aggadah o! Rabbi )iba the Elder:
%"he <eh is established in the mouth,
nd here ?O" is !ul+lled so,
nd ?O" brings the combination @as we need itA,
&t ascends in One,
"hese 4udgments depend on the <eh,
nd 4udgments depend on the nose,
s it is written: %There went )p a smo,e o)t o! His nostrils...%
=$>. nd i! you ob4ect, saying, behold, it is written @Psalms =9::A: %and cons)ming 2re
came o)t o! His mo)th...%
=$=. "he root o! anger depends on the ?ose.
ll the con!ormations o! the <oly ncient One are per!ected
Cy the 1uiet mysterious brain.
nd all the con!ormations o! Small (ace are !ormed
"hrough the in!erior wisdom.
s it is written @Psalms =>,.#,A: %All these ha$e Yo) made in wisdom.%
nd the <eh is the sum o! all things.
=$#. *hat is the diference between the Hin!eriorI <eh and Hthe superiorI <eh 6 Cy this
Hin!eriorI <eh 4udgment is awa'ened, and by that HsuperiorI <eh mercy within mercy.