Daily Zohar 5173
Holy Zohar text. Daily Zohar -5173

Hebrew translation:

349. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, לֹא גָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהָאָרֶץ וְלֹא נֶחֱרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ עַד שֶׁכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל נִמְצְאוּ חַיָּבִים לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְעַד שֶׁמַּנְהִיגֵי הָעוֹלָם נִמְצְאוּ חַיָּבִים בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה. זֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיה ג) עַמִּי מְאַשְּׁרֶיךָ מַתְעִים וְדֶרֶךְ אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ בִּלֵּעוּ. שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאשֵׁי הָעָם הוֹלְכִים בְּרֶשַׁע, כָּל הָעָם נִמְשָׁכִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם. רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר מִכָּאן, וְאִם כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁגּוּ – בַּמֶּה זֶה הָיָה? מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּעְלַם דָּבָר מֵעֵינֵי הַקָּהָל, שֶׁעֵינֵי הָעָם הֵם רָאשֵׁיהֶם, שֶׁכָּל הָעָם נִמְשָׁכִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם.
350. הָלְכוּ. עַד שֶׁהָיוּ הוֹלְכִים רָאוּ מָקוֹם אֶחָד מְדֻשָּׁן בַּעֲשָׂבִים וּנְהַר מַיִם זוֹרֵם בּוֹ. יָשְׁבוּ. עַד שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִים, פָּרַח עוֹף אֶחָד וְרָחַשׁ לִפְנֵיהֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא, נָקוּם מִכָּאן, שֶׁוַּדַּאי חוֹצְבֵי הָרִים (שׁוֹדְדִים) נִמְצָאִים כָּאן. קָמוּ וְהָלְכוּ. עַד שֶׁהֶחֱזִירוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶם, רָאוּ אוֹתָם לִסְטִים שֶׁרָצִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם. הִתְרַחֵשׁ לָהֶם נֵס וּמָצְאוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם סֶלַע אֶחָד וּבוֹ מְעָרָה אַחַת. נִכְנְסוּ לְשָׁם וְיָשְׁבוּ כָּל אוֹתוֹ יוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה.

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Zohar Vayikra
Continued from previous DZ
#349
Rabbi Yosi said: Israel were not exiled from their land, and the Holy Temple was not destroyed, until all of Israel were found guilty before the King, and until the leaders of the world were found guilty first. As it is written: “עַמִּי מְאַשְּׁרֶיךָ מַתְעִים וְדֶרֶךְ אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ בִּלְּעוּ”—“My people—those who lead you cause you to err, and they have swallowed up the way of your paths” (Isaiah 3:12). Once the heads of the people turned to wickedness, the whole people were drawn after them.
Rabbi Chiya said: From here: “And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err” (Leviticus 4:13)—in what way was this? Because “the thing was hidden from the eyes of the congregation.” The eyes of the people are their leaders, for the whole people are drawn after them.
#350
They went on their way. While they were walking, they saw a grassy place with a river flowing through it. They sat down. As they were sitting, a certain bird flew by in front of them. Rabbi Chiya said, “Let us go from here, for wild roosters—that is, robbers—are found here.” They arose and left. As they turned their heads, they saw that robbers were pursuing them. A miracle happened: they found a stone with a cave in it. They entered and sat there all that day and all that night.
Notes:
The Zohar teaches that the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel occurred only after the leaders (the “eyes of the congregation” / Sanhedrin) first became guilty, causing the entire people to follow them into sin. This underscores the principle that the spiritual state of the leaders determines the fate of the nation.
The narrative then shifts to a story of Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi on the road. They encounter signs of danger (a wild bird and pursuing robbers), flee into a cave, and are miraculously protected. The Aramaic term “נגרי טוריא” refers to ‘דוכיפת’ wild roosters or bandits. This story illustrates how the tzaddikim are protected by divine providence even in times of peril, while also serving as a backdrop for deeper mystical teachings that follow.

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