The Book of Splendor

Main Text (Zohar)

The Holy One, Blessed be He, original: Kudsha Brich Hu kills the poor and revives the wealthy, for from their sins and their ceasing to sin before Him, there is no moment or end to His wisdom. His companions said: when the Holy One, Blessed be He, desires to punish the wicked and grant goodness to them in the world, He then gives them peace and tranquility in everything. Come and see that all the people of the world are not found to be close to the Supernal King; they are all darkened because their sins are upon them. And who are those [who are close]? Those with a broken and crushed spirit, as it is written: and with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit Isaiah 57:15. These are the vessels of the King. And when lack is found in the world and famine strengthens against the poor, then they all cry out before the King, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, draws them closer than anyone else. This is what is written: For He hath not despised nor abhorred the lowliness of the poor Psalms 22:25. And then the Holy One, Blessed be He, remembers the world and brings down sustenance to the world and feeds the hunger of the world. Woe to those guilty ones who cause this! For if the King is awakened to gaze upon the world by the voice of the poor who cry out to be saved from their pain and their oppression, then it is written: I will surely hear his cry Exodus 22:22. "Surely hear" original: shamoa eshma - a double expression in Hebrew implies two merits: one to gaze upon their voice, and one to take vengeance from those who caused this for them. This is what is written: and I will hear, for I am gracious... and My wrath shall wax hot Exodus 22:23-24. And because of this, this is the claim of the open-eyed that is found in the world: woe to those wealthy sinners, for the cries of the poor are before the Holy One, Blessed be He.

Come and see that the sacrifice of the poor man is lighter than all others, because his heart is broken, and it is not a disgrace that he brings a sacrifice for the sin he committed, for his poverty and his shame are enough for him. And because of this, every single sacrifice is recognized individually by the priest. There is the praise of that wealthy man who brought [a sacrifice] before the priest twice; when he sinned, the priest said to him: "This sacrifice is not your way." He went to his house and was sad. They said to him: "Why are you sad?" He said to them: "Because the priest did not perform the service for my sacrifice." They said to him: "And what sin did you commit?" He said to them: "Two kinds." They said to him: "But look at the poor man who is not like you, for it is written: When a soul sins Leviticus 2:1—'a soul' etc.—and he does not bring a sacrifice." He said to them: "From his obligation." They said to him: "One ox." He said to them: "And is the sin so grave that the sin is according to the way that you did not spare your merit from the saving of sins?" From then on, what did he do? Every day he busied himself with trade, and it was a disgrace... when he was awakened, he would call to his brother and they would change his garments to white, and he would labor until he ascended and was wiped clean. It was found that he changed to white and they gathered to him... Judah to... One day, Rabbi Yose the Elder was there, and he was spreading his garments, half for the poor and half for his merchandise by the sea... men spreading their right hands, and he was sitting and laboring in the Torah:

He opened and said: And He led them unto their desired haven Psalms 107:30. "He acquired" original: Kani—what is this "acquired"? See, he established and saw the vision of the staff that they made into a nest original: Kina, as mentioned in this: the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself Psalms 84:4. For the sake of laboring in the Torah, whiteness does not require luxuries or trade, but rather to be filled with the cup and the brain. Because of this, they killed the memory of his whiteness. This is what is written: "And when you give a nest, the staff..." textual corruption?. And you performed kindness with all the Children of Israel. Because the King... the staff like his house. And we have learned: because he changed his portion one extra time in joy and performed kindness with Israel, and his words... all this matter is like the war of Amalek. Rather, the "haven" original: mahoz—when all of Israel went out from Egypt, from all the other nations of the world, there was no one to push Israel or to prosecute them except for Amalek. And he made a "nest" original: ken for Israel and waged war against them, and you preceded them with peace and performed kindness with them, and thus there is no... then to be... And not only that, but what is written concerning Jethro? And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God Exodus 18:12. For he came to bring a sacrifice to the Holy One, Blessed be He, and to see that we have learned the sin-offering speaks of the sacrifice...