Daily Zohar # 4547 – Kedoshim – Tested and refined like gold
Daily Zohar 4547
Hebrew translation:
82. אֶלָּא, מִיּוֹם שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם, לֹא הִכִּירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רַק בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהָיוּ בְּאוֹתָהּ עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה וְצָוְחוּ כְנֶגְדּוֹ, וְלֹא שִׁנּוּ מִנִּימוּסֵיהֶם לְעוֹלָמִים. וְשָׁם נִבְחֲנוּ הָאָבוֹת, כְּזָהָב מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת (כְּהִתּוּךְ הַזָּהָב מִתּוֹךְ הַשַּׁלְהֶבֶת). וְעוֹד, שֶׁהָיוּ רוֹאִים בְּכָל יוֹם כַּמָּה כְשָׁפִים, כַּמָּה מִינִים רָעִים, לְהַטְעוֹת אֶת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, וְלֹא סָטוּ מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ לְיָמִין וְלִשְׂמֹאל. וְאַף עַל גַּב שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ מַכִּירִים כָּל כָּךְ בִּכְבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא הָיוּ הוֹלְכִים אַחַר מִנְהֲגֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם.
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Zohar Kedoshim
Continued from previous DZ
#81
Rabbi Elazar was going to see Rabbi Yossi son of Shimon ben Lakonia, his father-in-law. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossi were with him. When they reached a certain field, they sat under a tree. Rabbi Elazar said, “Let each one of us say words of Torah.” Rabbi Elazar began and said,
Hosea 13:4
“וְאָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וֵאלֹהִים זוּלָתִי לֹא תֵדָע וּמוֹשִׁיעַ אַיִן בִּלְתִּי”
“Yet I am YHVH your God from the land of Egypt, And you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me.”
It is not written, ‘Who brought you out of the land of Egypt,’ (as in the first commandment) but rather ‘I am YHVH your God from the land of Egypt,’ and he asks, “Was it from the land of Egypt that they had a king, and not before then?” And it is written,
Genesis 35:2,3
“ וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶל כָּל אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ הָסִרוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר בְּתֹכְכֶם וְהִטַּהֲרוּ וְהַחֲלִיפוּ שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶם.”
“וְנָקוּמָה וְנַעֲלֶה בֵּית אֵל וְאֶעֱשֶׂה שָּׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לָאֵל הָעֹנֶה אֹתִי בְּיוֹם צָרָתִי וַיְהִי עִמָּדִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלָכְתִּי”
“And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.”
“Then let us arise and go up to Beth-el, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.”
It is said, “Let us arise and go up to Beth-el.” And you (Rabbi Elazar) say, “from the land of Egypt.”
#82
He answers, “From the day Israel existed in the world, the glory of the Holy One, Blessed be He, was not known except in the land of Egypt, where they were in harsh servitude, and they cried out to Him, and they never deviated from their tradition. Our ancestors were tested and refined like gold from the smelting pot there. Moreover, they saw every day many sorcerers and various kinds of evil sects attempting to deceive people, yet they did not turn right or left from the path. And although they did not know much about the glory of the Holy One, Blessed be He, they still followed the customs of their forefathers.”
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