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THE PATH OF SILENCE: AN UNKNOWN STORY

FROM A ZOHAR MANUSCRIPT1

Ronit Meroz

Abstract

This article presents a Zoharic story found in one manuscript only—ms. Vatican
206. The focal point of this story is the question whether in order to cleave to
God while walking, one should make use of the homiletical discourse, which nat-
urally involves a dialogue with one’s walking partner, or whether one should focus
one’s heart and will on God in utter silence. Rabbi Yose represents the group
consensus (widely described in the printed edition of the Zohar) as he expects Rabbi
Abba to converse with him about matters of Torah; Rabbi Abba, on the other
hand, represents ideas novel to that circle, probably under the influence of con-
temporary spiritualist trends. The story is very succinct, but its comparison to other
Zoharic texts and the attention to the strong emotions alluded to between the lines
reveal a rich plot. It seems that the fellows of the historical Zohar circle found
themselves at a spiritual crossroads—one of them was attempting to undermine
their dominant spiritual system and replace it with a more introverted one. It seems,
however, that the fact that this story was excluded from the Zoharic corpus—it
only appears in one manuscript—shows that the positive ending to this imaginary
story, whereby Rabbi Yose silently agrees with Rabbi Abba, remains a wishful thought
and that this attempt at incorporating new ways into the circle’s traditions failed.

Introduction

Historical sources indicate that the “Book” of the Zohar was dis-
seminated in separate quires.2 The copiers who handled different

1 This article is part of a more extensive research project on the Book of the

Zohar and its manuscripts which is being supported by The Israel Science Foundation
(no. 897/01, 1193/04). The research project involves the examination of the entire
inventory of manuscripts and quotations from the Zohar—until now, approximately
660 sources have been located—and it will pave the way for the publication of a
critical edition of the Zohar (the first portion, to be published soon, will be “Exodus”).
The text presented here was discovered while scanning these Zohar manuscripts. I
wish to express my gratitude to Neta Sobol, who provided assistance during this
work. I also wish to thank Prof. Yehuda Liebes, Dr. Avriel Bar-Levav, and Neta
Sobol for their comments as well as the Vatican library for granting permission to
publish this text found in a manuscript in their possession.
2 David Goldstein, trans., The Wisdom of the Zohar. An Anthology of Texts systematically

© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2008 EJJS 1.2

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320 ronit meroz

types of texts combined and edited them in various ways, each copier
on the basis of his own considerations. Moreover, pages were lost
or got mixed up, which led to a situation where there are hundreds
of Zohar manuscripts, none of them complete, and not two of them
identical. It is no wonder, therefore, that in all this confusion there
still remain Zohar texts that have never been published. At the same
time, upon close examination, one gets the impression that confu-
sion alone cannot account for this situation. There is a strong basis
for the view that occasionally particular texts were deliberately removed
from the Zohar literature due to censorship, probably executed by
editors or copyists. From this treasure trove I shall present a story
found in ms. Vatican 206 which has apparently not been published
to this day, due to internal censorship applied by the Kabbalists.3
The following analysis of the text will proceed from the premise
that the Zohar was not written by one person but rather by a large
group of people—a vibrant and creative group, whose activities
spanned many years. Naturally, such a group was not homogenous.
It included teachers and leaders, namely people who were more
dominant and who influenced the others, as well as less dominant
members who willingly accepted the formers’ opinions and often
admired them. One would also evidently encounter different views
and disagreements, disputes, and diverse writing styles.4

arranged and rendered into Hebrew by Fischel Lachower and Isaiah Tishby, with extensive
introductions and explanations by Isaiah Tishby (Oxford: The Littmann Library of Jewish
Civilization, 1989) I, 16.
3 For other cases of censorship see Ronit Meroz, “‘And I Was Not There?’: The

Complaints of Rabbi Simeon bar Yo˙ai according to an Unknown Story of the

Zohar,” Tarbitz 71 (2002): 163–193 [Hebr.].
4 Prof. Yehudah Liebes discussed this thesis in detail in his article “How the

Zohar was Written,” Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought 8 (1989): 1–72 [Hebr.]. In
my book and the following articles I have continued to examine this assertion from
a literary and historical perspective. See The Pearl, the Fish and the Matza: the Spiritual
Biography of Rashby ( in print) [Hebr.]; ibid., “The Chariot of Ezekiel: an Unknown
Zoharic Commentary,” Te’uda 16/17 (2001): 567–616 [Hebr.]; “Der Aufbau des
Buches Sohar,” PaRDeS: Zeitschrift der Vereinigung für Jüdische Studien e.V., II (2005):
16–36; ibid., “The Weaving of a Myth: An Analysis of Two Stories in the Zohar,”
in Study and Knowledge in Jewish Thought, ed. Howard Kreisel, (Beer-Sheva & Jerusalem:
Ben-Gurion University Of the Negev Press, 2006), vol. 2, 167–205 [Hebr.]; “Messia
Now?—Different Messianic Stands in the Book of Zohar,” in: Dror Kerem & Aharon
Zion, The Variety of Views and Opinons In Jewish Culture (Tel-Aviv: Ministry of Education,
2000), 59–72 [Hebr.]; “R. Joseph Angelet and his ‘Zoharic Writings,’” in: Te’uda
21 (2007): 303–405 [Hebr.]; ibid., “‘And I Was Not There?’: The Complaints of
Rabbi Simeon bar Yo˙ai according to an Unknown Story of the Zohar,” Tarbitz 71
(2002): 163–193 [Hebr.]; see especially: “Zoharic Narratives and their Adaptations,”
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the path of silence 321

The story presented here may also be seen as additional evidence

against the theory of single authorship. The spiritual ideals appear-
ing in the story relate to one of the more important foci of the
Zohar’s thought—the means of attaining devekut (spiritual cleaving)5
with God. As we shall see, the story’s conclusions contradict many
explicit statements that appear elsewhere in the Zohar. This in itself
is not surprising: one finds hundreds of contradictions in the Zohar
relating to various conceptual matters. All research on the Zohar
has taken this state of affairs into account. Noteworthy is the mon-
umental work of Isaiah Tishby, The Wisdom of the Zohar, in which
he lists the contradictions in great detail, although he does not con-
sider them as evidence of multiple authorship. But among these many
contradictions, some are particularly significant, such as those that
relate to the way man conducts his life. In such instances one expects
a certain consistency and a clearly-defined direction that does not
allow for ambiguity. This is true in our case, too: one must choose

Hispania Judaica 3 (2000): 3–63; “The Middle Eastern Origins of Kabbalah,” The
Journal for the Study of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewry (2007): 39–56.
5 Much has been written about devekut. See, for example: Abraham Joshua Heschel,

Theology of Ancient Judaism (Torah from Heaven Through the Prism of Successive Generations)
(London & NY: Soncino Press, 1962), vol. 1, 153–155 [Hebr.]; Gershom Scholem,
“Devekut, of Communion with God,” in: The Messianic Idea in Judaism and Other
Essays (New York: Schocken Books, 1971), 203–226; idem, Origins of the Kabbalah,
trans. by Allan Arkush (Princeton: Jewish Publication Society & Princeton University
Press, 1990), 247, 299–309, 412–430, Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom of the Zohar,
(vol. III) 974–998; Raphael Jehudah Zwi Werblowsky, Josheph Karo—Lawyer and
Mystic (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1980), chap. 4; Mordechai Pachter,
“The Theory of Devekut in the writings of the Sages of Safed in the Sixteenth
Century,” Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought 3 (1982): 51–121 [Hebr.]; Moshe Idel,
Kabbalah—New Perspectives (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988),
chap. 3; idem, “Hitbodedut as Concentration in Jewish Philosophy,” Jerusalem Studies
in Jewish Thought 7 (1988): 39–60 [Hebr.]; idem, The Mystical Experience in Abrahahm
Abulafia, trans. Jonathan Chipman (Albany: State University of New York Press,
1988), 123–134; idem, Studies in Ecstatic Kabbalah ( Jerusalem: Academon, 1990), chap. 7
[Hebr.]; idem, R. Menahem Recanati The Kabbalist ( Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv: Schoken
Publishing House, 1998), chap. 6 [Hebr.]; idem, Hasidism—Between Ecstasy and Magic
(New-York: State University of New York Press, 1995), 86–89; Elliot Wolfson, “The
Hermeneutics of Visionary Experience—Revelation and Interpretation in the Zohar,”
Religion 18 (1988): 111–345; idem, “Forms of Visionary Ascent as Ecstatic Experience
in the Zoharic Literature,” in Gershom Scholem’s Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism—50
Years after, eds. Peter Schaefer and Joseph Dan (Tuebingen: J.C.B. Mohr-Siebeck,
1993), 209–235; idem, Through a Speculun Thant Shines (Princeton: Princeton University
Press, 1994), chap. 7; Seth Brody, “Human Hands Dwell in Heavely Heights—
Contemplative Ascent and Theurgic Power in Thirteenth Century Kabbalah,” in:
Mystics of the Book; Themes, Topics, and Typologies, ed. Robert A. Herrera (New York:
Peter Lang, 1993), 123–158; M. Hellner-Eshed, A River Issues Forth from Eden—on the
Language of Mystical Experience In The Zohar—The Zohar Through Its Own Eyes (Tel-
Aviv: Alma—Am Oved, 2005) [Hebr.].
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322 ronit meroz

between two ways of attaining devekut to God, since one cannot carry
out both at the same time.
The literary analysis of the Zohar and the claim of multiple author-
ship go together, and are mutually supportive. For one, the pres-
ence of different styles, implying a more significant acknowledgment
of this plurality, constitutes one of the founding pillars of the claim
of multiple authorship.6 Furthermore, as we shall demonstrate with
the story presented here, the assertion of multiple authorship enables
us to sharpen our literary distinctions and better appreciate the rich-
ness of the Zohar’s poetics. Moreover, in the following paper, the
poetic analysis opens an additional window onto the spiritual and
conceptual world of the Zohar circle. Through poetic analysis, we
learn about spiritual developments and disagreements within the
circle; in other words, we learn about its history.

Rabbi Yose’s Overt Rebuke

The story begins with a complaint, or rather, a rebuke. Rabbi Yose

rebukes Rabbi Abba for being silent and for not expounding the
Torah, the way the other members of the circle do when traveling
together. Rabbi Abba’s silence indicates some form of surprising
renunciation of possibly attaining devekut with higher beings and it
harms Rabbi Yose’s potential spiritual growth in the course of the
journey. Involvement with matters of Torah facilitates communica-
tion with higher beings,7 as well as illumination, and tikkun (correc-
tion). Such expectations appear in other journeys (or stories about
journeys): “Open your mouth and let your words shine;”8 “Let us
open the doors of the Torah, for the hour and the season are ripe
for us to acquire tikkun in the course of the journey;”9 “Let us go
together and study Torah. And let each one of us say words of wis-
dom to illuminate the way.”10 Thus, not only does silence have no
positive impact, it may even be negative.

6 These have been discussed extensively in my publications listed in note 4.

7 On the issue of communication with higher beings, see the discussion around
note 38 (p.12–18).
8 Zohar, ed. Reuven Margulies ( Jerusalem: Mossad HaRav Kuk, 1984), II, 4a,

based on B. Berakhot 22a: ' ˚lym ˆwrhnyw ˚mwp jtpa'.

9 Zohar II, 5b: ' ˆjrab anqttal awh and[w at[ç ahd atyyrwad ˆyjtp jtpn'.
10 Zohar I, 6a (Translation by Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom of the Zohar I, 172):

'ajrwa arhnal atmkjd ˆylm amyy dj lkw atyyrwab qs[tnw lzyn ˆwtaw ana'.
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the path of silence 323

Such reproaches recur in the Zohar and contribute to the devel-

opment of the plot.11 At times, they seem to appear only as a cat-
alyst for dialogue between sages. This is the case with the story that
appears in some of manuscripts under the title of parashat vayehi ba˙atsi
halayla.12 In that story, Rabbi Óiyya complains to Rabbi Yose, his
travel partner saying: “Why are you silent?”13 In another story, the
two exchange roles. This time it is Rabbi Yose who complains to
Rabbi Óiyya: “Why are you silent? For surely the journey can only
be amended by words of Torah.”14
In a third story Rabbi Yose’s travel partner is Rabbi A˙a bar
Yahacov. This time, the criticizing voice is that of the omniscient
author: “Rabbi Yose set off on a journey and Rabbi A˙a bar Yahacov
was walking with him. As they were walking Rabbi Yose became
silent and thought of worldly matters while A˙a thought about the
words of the Torah.”15 The criticism is proven right at once—Rabbi
Yose barely noticed a snake on his path, when it bit him, he fell
on the ground and his nose started bleeding.16 A˙a, for his part, had
not even seen the snake. This brief tale ends with the moral accord-
ing to which the Holy One, blessed be He, does not wish that schol-
ars “should separate themselves from the tree of life for even one
moment.” Seemingly, God is very severe with them and, therefore,
punishes them immediately. From another angle, devekut provides
magical protection, whereas relinquishing it for even one moment
removes this protection immediately. The motif of criticism is therefore
a central layer in the structure of this story, it is the core compo-
nent that enables it to become an exemplary story bearing a moral
message.

11 Besides the occurrences to be mentioned further on, see also Zohar II, 217b.
12 For example, MS. München, Heb. 782 (Film No. 12563 at the Institute of
Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, The Jewish National and University Library,
Jerusalem), p. 52b. The story appears in the Zohar, II, 36b–38b.
13 Zohar II, 36b: '?qytç ta yama'. See, also, the discussion by Mordechai Pachter

on this subject “Between Night and Morning: Zohar II 36b–38b,” Proceedings from the
Third International Conference on the History of Jewish Mysticism—The Age of the Zohar, vol. 8
of Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought (1989), 311–346 and especially p. 315 [Hebr.].
14 Zohar II, 36a: 'atyyrwad ylmb ala ˆqtta al ajrwa ah ?qytç ta yama'.
15 Zohar II, 17b:

yswy ybr qytç ylza wwhd d['. hym[. lyza bq[y rb aja ybr hwhw ajrwal qpn yswy ybr'
'.atyyrwad ylmb rhrh aja ybrw ,aml[d ylmb rhrhw
16 One might wonder whether the author of the story ever saw a man bitten by

a snake! This seems to be a literary motif used to stress the seriousness of the
wound. Such an injury is mentioned also in the Zohar, II, 6a. See Meroz, Zoharic
Narratives and their Adaptations.
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324 ronit meroz

The topic of “rebukes” allows us to emphasize a prominent char-

acteristic of the Zohar poetics—the repeated use of motifs. The Zohar
stories are composed of different combinations of these motifs.
However, the repetition is never precise and schematic—it always
points us in a new direction serving a different purpose, whether
conceptual or literary.17
This is the case with our story, too. The rebuke motif functions
as a literary thread for weaving the plot, yet it is used differently
than in other stories. As we shall see below, in this story, this motif
is used to present a new ideal which differs from what is acceptable
to the other members of the circle and, ultimately, one discovers
that the rebuke was, in fact, inappropriate. Rabbi Yose represents
the group consensus, according to which discussing matters of Torah
in the course of a travel, that is to say, the homiletic system, enables
communication with higher beings, as mentioned above. He, him-
self, notes that there is nothing novel in this assertion and therefore
begins to outline his own assertions with the admission “for we have
learned” ( l. 4).18 Instead of responding to the actual criticism, Rabbi
Abba gradually explains his new approach, subtly formulating his
own criticism.

Rabbi Abba’s Concealed Rebuke

Rabbi Abba’s point of departure is the “wisdom” that the ancient

sages possessed, i.e. the ability to discern the hidden and then to
allude to it esoterically ( l. 6–7), using the dialogue between the
women and Naomi19 in the Book of Ruth as an example. The eso-
teric side of their conversation dealt with the process of the levirate
marriage: the concealed aspect of the levirate marriage is the draw-

17 For many examples, see Meroz, The Pearl (in print) as well as ibid., Zoharic Narratives

and their Adaptations.

18 On the historical and literary implications of the usage of the words “for we have

learnt” see Meroz, The Weaving of a Myth: An Analysis of Two Stories in the Zohar: 181–185.
19 Note that Naomi and the women are examples of “ancient sages [. . .] sin-

fearing pious people” ( l. 6–7) and the wisdom was revealed to them when they
named the newborn child ( l. 8–11). Mena˙em Ziyyoni writes in a similar vein (see
his Torah Commentary [Lemberg: Abaham Nissan Süß, 1882], 18b [Hebr.]): “Even
Naomi and her neighbors were prophetesses and wise enough to recognize the mat-
ter and explain the intention of the levirate marriage which is for the service of God.
For this reason, they called him Obed.” See below regarding the topic of women.
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the path of silence 325

ing of the soul of a deceased childless person into the child born to
the yabam (deceased husband’s brother) and the widow.20 This is the
redemption of his soul and the restoration of what was lost ( l. 14–15).
Having been redeemed, he lives in this world as any other person.
This is the reason it is stated in the Scripture that “His name may
be famous in Israel.” “In Israel” our story notes, refers to him being
in this world amongst the living, “and not amongst the dead” ( l. 9).
His name, Obed, too, testifies to his past: the grammatical root for
the name Obed (db[) has the meaning of “to do” in Aramaic. Here
it is supposed to testify to the act of kavvanah that was done by his
parents and constituted a condition for the success of the levirate
marriage allowing Obed’s entry into the world.21
An examination of other related sources from the Zohar shows
that verse 17 from the fourth chapter of the Book of Ruth is also
employed in the Midrash ha-Nehelam to discuss the aspect of the levi-
rate marriage as a means to redeem souls.22 Furthermore, it would
appear that not only does our story continue the line of thought
prevalent in the Midrash ha-Nehelam, but it practically quotes it. We
find written there “‘There is a son born to Naomi’ [Ruth 4:17]
[. . .] through this the loss that was lost [sic.] has been found,” while
in our text we have ( l. 15) “what had been lost has been found.”23
Further on, our story uses a similar rhetoric as the Midrash

20 Prior to the Zohar, Nahmanides had already alluded to the hidden aspect of

levirate marriage in his Commentary to Genesis, 38:8 (Nahmanides, Torah Commentary,

ed. By Chaim B. Chavel [ Jerusalem: Mossad HaRav Kuk, 1959–1960], vol. I,
214–215). On the influence of these ideas on the following generations, see also in
Ephraim Gottlieb, Studies in the Kabbala Literature, ed. J. Hacker (Tel-Aviv: The Chaim
Rosenberg School for Jewish Studies, Tel-Aviv University, 1976), 370–396 [Hebr.];
J. Katz, Halacha and Kabbalah ( Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1984), 62–65 [Hebr.].
21 See lines 31–32, in which this verb is connected to the act of kavvanah. Name

interpretations abound in the Zohar. See, for example, I, 207a. Regarding Rabbi
Abba’s name, see below, near n. 47; on the name interpretation of Ezekiel, see
Meroz, Ezekiel’s Chariot.
22 Zohar Óadash, ed. Reuven Margulies ( Jerusalem: Mossad HaRav Kuk, 1978),

Midrash ha-Nehelam on the Book of Ruth, 89 col. d—90 col. a.

23 Rabbi Moshe de Leon, whose ideas are similar to those of Midrash ha-Nehelam

repeats this idea, but in Hebrew (see Shushan Edut in: Gershom Scholem, “Two
Quires Written by Rabbi Moshe de Leon,” Kobez al Yad—Minora Manuscripta Hebraica
8(18) (1976): 358 [Hebr.]; Ha Nefesh HaÓachama, ed. Jochanan H. A. Wijnhoven
[Brandeis, USA: Ph. D. Dissertation 1975] 138–139). Later on Rabbi Yitzhak of Acre
repeats this idea in his book Mehirat Einayim. See Amos Goldreich, Sefer Mehirat Einayim
by Rabbi Isaac of Acre—a Critical Edition, Dissertation ( Jerusalem 1981), 33 [Hebr.].
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326 ronit meroz

ha-Nehelam,24 where it is written: “‘There is a son born to Naomi’

[Ruth 4:17] but did not Ruth give birth to him?!;” whereas in our
story we have “‘There is a son born to Naomi’ [Ruth 4:17] [. . .]
did Naomi give birth to him?” ( l. 19–20).
Incidentally, that same text from the Midrash ha-Nehelam on the
Book of Ruth clarifies for us the cause of concern for the loss of
the soul: since Naomi’s sons, Mahlon and Chilion, themselves had
no sons (an unforgivable deficiency according to the Book of the
Zohar). Were it not for levirate marriage, their souls would have
descended to Hell;25 or, to be more precise, the lowest department
called aAvadon (“destruction,” “loss”), the only department in hell one
can never ascend from.26
Sitrei Torah also deals with the levirate marriage27 and even draws
a comparison between the drawing forth of the soul of the deceased
to the son of the yabam and the drawing forth of the soul to other
new-born children. In this case, Sitrei Torah emphasizes the power of

24 Zohar Óadash, Midrash ha-Nehelam, Ki Tetse, 59, col. a. Moshe de Leon writes

similarly—Shushan Edut, 358.

25 The Zohar is based on the Babylonian Talmud, on this matter. Regarding

Judah’s words according to which Tamar was more righteous than he was, it is
written in B. Sota 10b: “a divine voice descended and announced [to Judah] ‘you
have saved Tamar and her two sons from the fire[. . .]’” This might indicate that
were it not for Tamar, Er and Onan, who died childless, would have been des-
tined for hell. Furthermore, the Zohar could have concluded that this affair has a
hidden aspect to it, as later the divine voice says: “The reproof (kebushim) has come
from me” to which the medieval commentator, Rashi, following another possible
meaning of the word, comments: “Reproof: secret matters.” On the punishment of
the childless, see also Rabbi Moshe de Leon Shushan Edut, 358 as well as Ha Nefesh
HaÓachama, 138.
26 On aAvadon as the lowest department of hell from where one has no possibil-

ity of emerging, see Midrash ha-Nehelam in the Zohar Óadash, 25b; Zohar I, 62b; III,
54b; III, 178a; III, 285b–286a. This view is therefore shared by quite a few mem-
bers of the Zohar circle. aAvadon appears in the bible as one of the alternative names
of hell. See Ps. 88:11; Job 26:6; 28:22; Prov. 15:11. In B. Erubin 19a it is only
one of the names of hell. In a few other sources, it is already considered as one
of the “compartments of Gehinnom.” See Midrash Sho˙er Tob, ed. Shlomo Buber
(Vilna: Rom Press, 1891), Ps. 11; Seder Raba de-Bereshit, in: Shlomo Aharon Wertheimer,
Batei Midrashot ( Jerusalem: Mossad HaRav Kuk, 1950), 3–48; Nahmanides, Shahar
ha-Gemul in: Nahmanides, Writings of Nahmanides, ed. Chaim B. Chavel ( Jerusalem:
Mossad HaRav Kuk, 1964), 284.
One should note that the converse of aAvadon is “the building,” that is, the creation
of the new body of the son of the yabam (= deceased husband’s brother), see Midrash
ha-Nehelam on the Book of Ruth, 89, col. d. This formulation is based on the following
biblical passage concerning levirate marriage: “So shall it be done unto that man that
will not build up his brother’s house” (Deut. 15:9). See also Yehuda Liebes, Sections of
the Zohar Lexicon (Ph.D. diss., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1976), 95, 241 [Hebr.].
27 Zohar I, 154b–155b (Sitrei Torah).
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the path of silence 327

thought far more than the Midrash ha-Nehelam, by evoking the same
verse from the Book of Job ( Job 34:14) used in our story. The author
of Sitrei Torah illustrated the principle that “All the affairs of the
world depend on thought and intention”28 through the case of Jacob:
when he had conjugal relations with his wives, he transferred the
birthright from Reuben to Joseph through the power of the mind.
In this case one may see an example and a lesson for every wish
being fulfilled. It appears that both the views and language of Sitrei
Torah reverberate throughout our story:
In the same way, thought and intention perform deeds and have conse-
quences in every area with which man is involved in secret, as it is writ-
ten: “The wife of the dead man shall not be married outside [the family]
but her husband’s brother shall go in to her” (Deuteronomy 25:5).
And here thought and will must be applied, because through thought
and will the necessary deeds are affected, and the consequences obtained
and the dead man’s name shall not perish in the world. The mystery
of this is seen in “If he sets his heart upon him he will gather to him
his spirit and his soul” ( Job 34:14). For, to be sure, will and thought
have consequences and perform deeds in whichever area is necessary.29
Therefore prayer requires the will and intention to direct [one’s heart].
And similarly with all modes of serving the Holy One, blessed be He,
intention and thought perform deeds and have consequences in what-
ever area is necessary.30
We do not, therefore, find anything particularly innovative in Rabbi
Abba’s discussion regarding levirate marriage; this is plain from the rep-
etition of both ideas and formulations appearing in Midrash ha-Nehelam
and Sitrei Torah.31 Since these subjects had already been discussed and
agreed upon by the Zohar circle,32 Rabbi Yose was glad to agree with
Rabbi Abba: “Rabbi Yose said: Surely the matter is so” ( l. 23).

28 Zohar I, 155a (Sitrei Torah): ' arwhrhw hbçjm rtb ˆylza aml[d ˆylm lk'.
29 Cf. lines 31–33 in our story.
30 The translation of this section is from Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom of the

Zohar III, 1402–3 (with minor changes). Some of these ideas also appear in the
Zohar II, 162b and III, 177a as well as in Rabbi Moshe de Leon’s writings-Shushan
Edut, 357, Ha Nefesh HaÓachama, 140.
31 As noted earlier, some resemblance to the writings of de Leon are also appar-

ent (see notes 23, 24, 25 and 30), although our text’s wording is closer to that of
Midrash ha-Nehelam and Sitrei Torah.
32 Scholem and Tishby established that Midrash ha-Nehelam and Sitrei Torah belong

to the earlier strata of Zohar literature. See Gershom Scholem, “Chapters from the
History of Cabbalistical Literature,” Kirjath Sepher 6 (1929): 109–118; ibid., “The
Earliest Citation from Midrash ha-Nehelam,” Tarbtiz 3 (1932): 183–181; ibid., Major
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328 ronit meroz

What is surprising here is the criticism vented upon Rabbi Simeon

ben Yo˙ai’s generation. The Zohar is full of superlatives when relat-
ing to his generation and here, too, is full of similar statements: “And
there will not be another generation like this one [Rabbi Simeon
ben Yo˙ai’s generation], how much more so will wisdom be for-
gotten from the generations that shall come afterwards.” ( l. 17–18).
Yet, at the same time, we notice more than a hint of criticism, no
less than Rabbi Abba’s actual rebuke: “And now not even men know
such things, and even in this generation, with Rabbi Simeon in it,
there are many who do not contemplate wisdom” ( l. 16–17). On
the other hand, “The ancient sages were sin-fearing pious people
and they did not forget the Torah, and even women would con-
verse wisely” ( l. 6–7). Presumably, the comparison between “today’s”
men and the women of “long ago” reconstructs the comparison
between the maidservant’s vision at the Parting of the Red Sea and
the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel,33 implying criticism of the level of

Trends in Jewish Mysticism, (New York: Schocken Books, 1941), 187–188; Tishby-
Lachower, The Wisdom of the Zohar I, 20, 94; Isaac F. Baer, A History of the Jews in
Christian Spain (Tel-Aviv: Am Oved, 1965, 509, n. 61a [Hebr.]; Abraham Isaac
(Arthur) Green, “R. Isaac Ibn Sahola’s Commentary on the Song of Songs,” Jerusalem
Studies in Jewish Thought 4 (1987): 393–491 [Hebr.]. One may conclude on the basis
of stylistic considerations that our story belongs neither to Sitrei Torah nor to the
Midrash ha-Nehelam. Sitrei Torah is an interpretative midrash on the Torah. It inter-
prets certain chapters following the order of the verses but does not incorporate
stories in its interpretations. The stylistic features of the Midrash ha-Nehelam stories
are also uncharacteristic of our story (for more details, see Gershom Sholem (sic!),
“A Lost Chapter of the Midrash ha-Neelam,” in eds. Saul Lieberman et al., Louis
Ginzberg Jubilee Volume (New York: American Academy for Jewish Research, 1945),
425–446 [Hebr.]. Stories are also uncharacteristic of the texts that preceded Midrash
ha-Nehelam and Sitrei Torah. The main texts that preceded them are the Matnitin and
the Tosephtas. According to Tishby, their very name alludes to the fact that “these
pieces constitute a kind of mystical Mishna, the Gemara to which is provided by the
Zohar” (Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom of the Zohar I, 3), or, in other words, that
the Zohar is constructed as a commentary on them, implying that it was written
later. All this leads us to conclude that our story, which from a literary aspect is
well-developed, is later than the Midrash ha-Nehelam and Sitrei Torah and therefore
would borrow material from them, and not the other way round. Moreover, one
needs to take into consideration the messianic tone in the story, focused especially
around the figure of Rabbi Simeon ben Yo˙ai. This nuance is more appropriate
for the later stages of the Zohar literature (see Elliot Wolfson, The Book of the
Pomegranate —Moses De Leon’s Sefer Ha-Rimmon (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988), 50–55;
Yehuda Liebes, “The Messiah of the Zohar: on the Messianic Figure of Rabbi Simon
Bar Yo˙ai,” in The Messianic Idea in Jewish Thought: A study Conference in Honour of the
Eightieth Birthday of Gershom Scholem Held 4–5 December 1977 ( Jerusalem: The Israel
Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1982), 197 [Hebr.]; Meroz, The Pearl (in print).
33 Mechilta deRabbi Ishmael, ed. Chaim S. Horowitz, (Frankfurt am Main:

J. Kauffmann, 1928–1931), Beshala˙, Tractate Shirata, C, p. 126.

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the path of silence 329

knowledge. Torah mysteries that were once known even among the
lowest social status, i.e. women, are unknown these days among the
leading social status, i.e. men! Hence, what we have here is not so
much a positive appreciation of women’s wisdom but rather, a crit-
icism of wisdom of his generation and thereby, of the leadership of
Rabbi Simeon ben Yo˙ai!34 This criticism of the sages’ lack of knowl-
edge sets the stage for Rabbi Abba’s introduction of new knowledge.
Since Rabbi Abba does not elaborate on the nature of the missing
wisdom among his generation, thereby keeping his criticism some-
what vague, Rabbi Yose is not antagonistic to his message. The
agreement attained beforehand on the matter of levirate marriage is
now the more dominant factor affecting their relationship.
Incidentally, even if the spread of mystical knowledge in the world
is one of the messianic features in the character of Rabbi Simeon
ben Yo˙ai, in the other parts of the Zohar, the regression regard-
ing this type of knowledge, predicted following his death (noted in
our text in l. 17–18) does not contradict this particular messianic
notion. This is because Rabbi Simeon ben Yo˙ai of the Zohar is
not meant to embody the ultimate appearance of the messianic per-
son. His death is his concealment in paradise, until the return of
the messianic figure; while he is concealed, the wellsprings of wis-
dom are blocked.35

Rabbi Abba’s New Teaching

Once he obtained Rabbi Yose’s consent, Rabbi Abba’s arguments takes

a sudden turn ( l. 25–36) through an a fortiori method of reasoning, he
derives conclusions that are unfamiliar to the members of the circle.

34 This section grew out of a dialogue with Prof. Yehuda Liebes, to whom I

wish to express my gratitude. It is also noticeable that, in contrast with the story
presented in another article of mine (Meroz, ‘And I Was Not There?’: The Complaints
of Rabbi Simeon bar Yo˙ai according to an Unknown Story of the Zohar), this story does not
focus on the personality of Rabbi Simeon ben Yo˙ai, nor does it negate his status
entirely, or suggest an alternative leader.
35 On the alteration between the concealment of the Messiah and his appear-

ance in the present world, see Zohar II, 7a–8b. The assertion that knowledge was
lost after the death of Rabbi Simeon ben Yo˙ai appears in many places in the
Zohar. See, for example, I, 216b–217a. For a discussion of the messianic aspects
in greater detail, see Meroz, The Pearl (in print).
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330 ronit meroz

The scriptural verse from the Book of Job was used in the above-
mentioned Zohar passages to describe the force of thought in “worldly
matters”: for returning the soul of the deceased in the son of the
yebama (childless widow who re-weds through a levirate marriage);
for the drawing of the soul to other newborns; and, in general, in
the words of the Sitrei Torah “for whatever is necessary” (a formula-
tion with a distinct magical ring to it). Yet at this point, Rabbi Abba
adds a mystical direction to the magical one:36 if the power of thought
can be successful with magical matters, how much more so can
devekut to the Holy One, blessed be He ( l. 27–33); if the power of
love is so great to the dead that it can bring them back to this
world, how much more so is the power of love to the Holy One,
blessed be He, so that the soul can cleave to Him ( l. 25–28).37
The notion of communication with the Holy One, blessed be
He—a common symbol of the sixth Sephira from above—is unex-
pected in the context of this discussion about levirate marriage. In
any event, we have already noted that the travel companions can
convert a secular journey into a sacred one which includes com-
munication with the higher beings, illumination and tikkun. However,
most Zohar sources, when referring to communication with higher
beings, imagine communication with the Shekhinah, namely, the low-
est Sephira. For example:
Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Yose were walking along the way. Rabbi
Judah said to Rabbi Yose: Open your mouth and study the Torah
for behold, the Shekhinah is there with you. Since whenever one studies
the Torah the Shekhinah comes and joins you, how much more so when
one walks along the way.38

36 The magical direction still remains since the members can draw to them “that

which they wish” ( l. 33). Likewise, there remains the connotation for the ability to
attain souls worthy of progeny, since the phrase “they perform an act from Sabbath
to Sabbath” ( l. 32) seems to allude to marital relations (See B. Ketubut 62b). On
the other hand, following this sentence, the text returns to discuss cleaving to the
Holy One, blessed be He, from which we should understand that a mystical activ-
ity is implied. See the end of the introduction to this text for further discussion on
this topic.
37 Would the fellow members have agreed with the author about the actual logic

involved in this a fortiori deduction?!

38 Zohar I, 115b:

atyyrwab y[lw ˚mwp jtp: yswy ybrl hdwhy ybr l"a. ajrab ylza wwh yswy ybrw hdwhy ybr'
ˆkç lkw arbjtmw ayta atnykç ˆa[l atyyrwad ylmbd ˆmz lkd, ˚bg tjktça atnykç ahd
'.ajrwab
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the path of silence 331

I have found discussion about communication with the higher beings

in the sense of communication with the Holy One, blessed be He, in
very few Zohar sources. For instance, in Sava de-Mishpatim:
The old man wept as he had at the beginning and said to himself:
‘Old man, old man, how greatly you have toiled to master these holy
matters [esoteric homilies], and yet are you going to narrate them in
a single moment?! [. . .] The Holy One, blessed be He, and the Shekhinah
are here, because wherever words of Torah are spoken the Holy One,
blessed be He, and Shekhinah are there listening.’39
Further on, the Sava asks himself again: “Say your words, Sava, for
behold, the Holy King is present.”40
Rabbi Yose does see eye to eye with Rabbi Abba as far as the
possibility of being joined by the Holy One, blessed be He, as he,
himself, started the story by expressing this hope; however, at this
point, Rabbi Abba shall point to his new method of truly cleaving
to Him.
The nature of this cleaving to the Holy One, blessed be He, will
become somehow clearer if we remember that its discussion is pre-
sented as a response to Rabbi Yose’s accusation that Rabbi Abba’s
lips are not “whispering Torah.” It would appear now that Rabbi
Abba’s answer relates to various aspects of the mystical process: he
is silent as he is engaged in an inner process involving “his will and
his heart,” rather than his lips and voice. R. Abba does not share
with us too many details concerning the preferred process. All we
know is that it involves silence and will power. The potency of the will
is exemplified by mentioning the magical power which could be
exerted during sexual relations. Similar ideas appeared prior to the

For a more amplified version, see Zohar I, 58b–59a. For a long list of Zohar sources
that perceive cleaving to the higher beings as cleaving to the Shekhinah see Elliot
Wolfson, Hermeneutics.
39 Zohar I, 98a:

ˆyçydq ˆylm aqbdal t[gy hmk, abs abs: hyçpnl whya rmaw ˆymdqlmk abs awhh hkb
ˆylmd rta lkb ahd akh ˆwnya y"kw h"bq ala ? . . .adj a[grb ˆwl amyt atçhw ˆyla
'.ˆwl ytyyxw ˆmt ˆwnya y"kw h"bq ˆyrma atyyrad
The translation is taken from Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom of the Zohar I, 191–192
(with minor changes).
40 Zohar II, 101b–102a.

'.akh açydq aklm ahd, abs, ˚lym amya'

The “King” is another common symbol for the sixth Sephira.
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332 ronit meroz

Zohar in the writings of R. Yahakov ben Sheshet, as well as in Iggeret

haKodesh (assuming that it is indeed earlier that the Zohar).41
While Rabbi Yose’s hopes to discuss matters relating to Torah
with Rabbi Abba reflect the homiletic method, the introversion pre-
ferred by Rabbi Abba alludes to a more meditative and less dis-
cursive method. Rabbi Abba asserts, therefore, that only a silent
process which makes use of the magical power of will shall lead to
cleaving to the Holy One, blessed be He.
It should be emphasized that Rabbi Abba’s argument itself regard-
ing the power of mental processes is not at all exceptional within
the Zohar circle. Yet, it is always stressed that this power lies at the
root of the word, deed, or prayer. In practice, the Zohar recom-
mends a combination of the two. The actual expression of the words
is so important that occasionally the Zohar is drawn to the oppo-
site argument to that of Rabbi Abba:
Come and see. If a man says that there is no necessity for actual deeds
[namely, the commandments], or to utter words [of prayer] or make
them audible—may his spirit expire! [. . .] For thought [alone] does not
accomplish anything: unless sound is produced by it, it does not ascend.
But once [a man] has produced a word from his mouth [here, a sec-
ular word], that word becomes a sound and it cleaves atmospheres
and firmaments, and it goes up and another matter is aroused [sitra
ahra, the forces of Evil] [. . .] and [on the contrary,] whoever produces
a holy word from his mouth, a word of Torah—a sound is made from
it that ascends and the holy ones of the supernal King are aroused
and they are crowned near His head, and then there is joy in the
upper and in the lower worlds.42

41 Iggeret haKodesh in: Nahmanides, Writings of Nahmanides, 315–316; R. Yahakov

ben Sheshet, HaEmunah veHabitahon, in: Nahmanides, Writings of Nahmanides, 394–395;

For more about this, see Moshe Idel, “Notes on Medieval Jewish-Christian Polmics,”
Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought 3 (1984): 696; idem, Recanati, 132–133. For some
of the non-Jewish sources, see David Biale, Eros and the Jews —from Biblical Israel to
Contemporary America (New York: Basic Books, 1992), chapter 5. For some of the
Jewish sources, see Thanhuma, Naso 7 and the text by R. Asher ben David, in:
Daniel Abrams, R. Asher ben David—His Complete Works and Studies in his Kabbalistic
Thought (Los Angeles: Cherub Press, 1996), 125–130. Will is quite a common com-
ponent of the Kavvanah in the Zohar. See, for example, II 244b.
42 The translation of Zohar III, 105a is from Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom of the

Zohar III, 952 (with minor changes). For more on the subject of the connection
between kavvanah, action, and the spoken word, see Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom
of the Zohar III, 951–962.
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the path of silence 333

Furthermore, the homiletic method is the most important technique

for communicating with the higher beings in the Zohar.43 Although
non-verbal techniques for attaining such communication do exist in
the Zohar, they do not appear independently, but are combined with
the homiletic process or with prayer. For example, in the unit termed
Hekhalot de-Bereshit, or Hekhalot Raba, body gestures are added to the
act of prayer: bowing; kneeling; prostration; falling upon one’s face;
and spreading out one’s hands.44 Nevertheless the homiletic method
is the only one found in the Zohar as a technique used while trav-
eling (as far as I am aware) and it appears without additions of non-
verbal techniques. Bearing this in mind, the path cut to devekut in
our story is unique in that it relinquishes the need for any external
verbal expression.
Our story revives the debate that was current in the first half of
the thirteenth century between the kabbalists and the spiritualists.
The former were conservative, holding fast to the established prayer
rites and the vocal expression of the words of the prayers; the lat-
ter were innovators who had been influenced by similar trends out-
side Judaism (especially that of Ibn Sina), and preferred a silent
“service of the heart”.45 One finds, therefore, that even in the strong-
hold of the kabbalistic approach—the Zohar circle—the influence of
the spiritualists is beginning to be felt, while Rabbi Abba acts as
their representative in our story.

Summary and Conclusions

Although the text is primarily concerned with a conceptual dialogue,

strong emotional currents flow between the lines, creating a plot. Below

43 The article by Wolfson (Wolfson, Hermeneutics) stresses just how important this

method is. In his extensive and detailed article, he claims that the Zohar sees the
homiletic method as the only means to attain revelation and cleaving to the Shekhinah.
44 Zohar I, 41a–45b. For a discussion on additional means see Meroz, The Pearl

(in print).
45 About this debate, see Rabbi Yahakob ben Sheshet, “Shahar HaShamayim,

Ozar Nechmad”, Briefe und Abhandlungen 3 (1860): 164–165; chapter 6 in Nine chap-
ters about Unity, ed. G. Vajda, Kobez al Yad—Minora Manuscripta Hebraica 5 (15) (1951):
101–137; Gershom Scholem, Origins, 382; Tishby-Lachower, The Wisdom of the Zohar I,
950; Goldreich, Mehirat Einayim, 410–411.
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334 ronit meroz

we shall note the principal elements of the plot that develop through
the gaps46 between the words, no less than through the words themselves:
* The narrative opens on an angry note; Rabbi Yose criticizes
Rabbi Abba, on the basis of the spiritual norms of the group.
In a circle where each and every member is spiritually depen-
dent on the other, Rabbi Yose, in fact, complains that Rabbi
Abba’s negligence concerning his spiritual life affects him as well
( l. 2–5).
* Rabbi Abba only alludes to this criticism without responding
directly to it, and raises two arguments that are acceptable within
the circle—the nature of a wisdom that discerns hidden layers
in each matter, and the depiction of the hidden process of levi-
rate marriage, that is to say, the drawing of the soul of the
deceased by means of kavvanah ( l. 6–22). Rabbi Abba’s explicit
criticism of the ignorance of his contemporaries is non-specific
and vague, and therefore does not arouse Rabbi Yose’s opposition.
* This way, Rabbi Abba succeeds in placating his friend and
recreating a harmonious atmosphere between them. Rabbi Yose
is happy to agree with him: “Rabbi Yose said: Surely the mat-
ter is so!,” and even goes on to praise the esoteric Torah that
the two of them share ( l. 23–24).
* Once harmony has been restored, Rabbi Abba continues
expounding his new interpretation: the advantages of silent kav-
vanah ( l. 25–36). Rabbi Yose now understands what Rabbi Abba
meant in the vague and non-specific criticism he had leveled
beforehand, i.e. the lack of knowledge among his generation in
relation to the silent kavvanah.
* The narrative does not waste many words on the end of the
story, leaving it to the reader’s imagination. The former criti-
cism has proved unjustified, shown by the fact that Rabbi Yose
neither responds nor argues. Rabbi Abba’s spiritual path has

46 On the gaps, see, for instance, Wolfgang Iser, The act of Reading: a Theory of

Aesthetic Response (London: Routledge and K. Paul, 1978); Andrew Bennett (ed.),
Readers and Reading (London & New York: Longman, 1995); Stanley E. Fish,
“Interpreting the Variorum,” Critical Inquiry 2, Spring 1976; Paul De Man, “Literature
and Language: A Commentary,” New Literary History 4 (1972); Susan R. Suleiman
& Inge Crosman (eds.), The Reader in the Text: Essays on Audience and Interpretation
(Princeton, N.J. : Princeton Univ. Press, 1980). The use of structured gaps is wide-
spread in the Zohar poetics. For more details see Meroz, The Pearl (in print).
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the path of silence 335

now been accepted by Rabbi Yose, and therefore Rabbi Abba

is spiritually the more dominant of the two. We may therefore
assume that the pair now continued on their way in silence.
The story begins with anger and criticism, proceeds with the combi-
nation of limited concord and vague criticism, and concludes with a
unified progression along a new spiritual path. Initially, Rabbi Yose felt
he was in the right and allowed himself to criticize Rabbi Abba; ultimately
it turns out that Rabbi Abba was more in the right. The story ends,
therefore, with Rabbi Abba’s “triumph,” so to speak, or at least, the
victory of his way. He doesn’t achieve victory through direct confrontation,
but very delicately through the “conquest” of points of agreement, and
then using the a fortiori method of reasoning to reach the desired con-
clusion. While Rabbi Yose’s rebuke was overt, it turns out that the main
part of Rabbi Abba’s rebuke was suppressed.
Hence, the conceptual and emotional aspects lead us to the spir-
itual aspect of the plot. The writer finds himself at a spiritual cross-
roads, as the story reflects an attempt to undermine the dominant
spiritual system within his circle, i.e. the homiletic (Midrashic) dia-
logue, in order to replace it with a more introverted and meditative
approach revealing the influence of philosophy. Rabbi Yose repre-
sents consensual views in the Zohar circle, while Rabbi Abba stands
for the novel opinions of the author. It is perhaps not coincidental
that the innovator is called Rabbi Abba, since elsewhere in the Zohar
this name is interpreted as “You shall be a father over everything,
in wisdom and in years.”47 Thus it seems that the choice of this
name is motivated by the desire to stress Rabbi Abba’s authority as
an innovator.
Rabbi Yose began by mentioning the fellows ( l. 5) and their spir-
itual path, Rabbi Abba concludes by mentioning the fellows ( l. 32)
and their spiritual path. Since Rabbi Abba’s opinions did not echo
in the circle—at least not in the extant Zohar texts—it would seem
that the positive conclusion of the fictional story and the assertion
that the mystery-knowing members indeed supported his view, remained
an unfulfilled aspiration and does not reflect the historical reality of
the circle.
Dialogue and tension between the author of the story and the
other members of the circle appear, therefore, between the lines.

47 Zohar I, 70b.
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336 ronit meroz

The plot of the story is thus twofold: in one plot, the heroes bear
their own names, Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Abba, while in the other,
the characters are some anonymous members within the 13th cen-
tury Zohar circle.
Were we to limit our judgment of the narrative aspect of the story
to the written word alone, we would find it wanting. However by
noticing the carefully structured gaps, we appreciate its richness. The
structuring of these gaps allows us to fill in the story in two ways.
The first one involves paying attention to the emotional aspects of
the story. The second one involves paying attention to the inter-tex-
tual relations between this story and other parts of the Zohar—dia-
logue, citation, paraphrase, and disputation. Awareness of the very
existence of a circle—that is, of a multiplicity of writers—and of the
chronological order of the texts (as much as possible) enables us to
understand the viewpoints of this story and the crossroads at which
it stands—where it follows the lead of others and where it attempts
to innovate.
It is the attention to the combination of all these elements—the
explicit narrative, the gaps, and the manner in which they are filled,
whether with emotional or inter-textual contexts—which create a fas-
cinating twofold plot in this short story.
We shall end with a few comments relating to the style. The
author appears to enjoy aspects relating to euphony and of the use
of ambiguous sentences or of sentences with wide-ranging connotations:
* Obed’s soul is almost lost (hdba aaveda—‘loss’) in aAvadon (‘the
lowest department in hell’),48 however the ‘labor’ (hdwb[ aavoda)
of his parents, that is their act of kavvanah, brought him back
from the dead ( l. 9, 10, 31–32). Some of these sounds and their
meanings were borrowed from the Midrash ha-Nehelam on the
Book of Ruth: Obed–aaveda–aAvadon. Yet, the combination of
words derived from the Semitic root, abd, exists in the Midrash
ha-Nehelam in a slightly different contextual sense than in our
story: the reference there is to the work of the Holy One, blessed
be He, whereas in our story it is the kavvanah, the act of man:

48 It should be emphasized that the word aAvadon does not appear explicitly in

the text, but is simply alluded to.

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the path of silence 337

Rabbi Simahah says: In a number of places the Holy One, blessed be

He, does [Aramaic: aaved] acts of kindness with these souls [. . .] who
had not done [Aramaic: aavedu] acts of kindness and not given birth
to [lit. ‘made,’ Aramaic: aavedu] a son [. . .] and what shall I do [Aramaic:
aaaavid ] with them? [. . .] About them it is written ‘and I shall cause
that soul to be lost’ [Hebrew: he’evadeti ][Leviticus, 23: 30].49
* The text is concerned with the fear of forgetfulness ( l. 3, 6, 18),
that is, forgetting the Torah, yet it states that among women
( l. 8) it is not totally forgotten. In Aramaic, the words “women”
and “forgotten” have the same spelling (ayçn). Since the Torah
isn’t forgotten, it is possible to save Obed’s soul from aAvadon,
one of the levels of hell characterized by forgetfulness.50
* The genealogy of the biblical Obed begins, of course, with Perez,
the son of Tamar and Judah. It was in vain that Tamar had
waited for Shelah, Judah’s son, and it is about Shelah that the
Bible says: “And he was at Chezib [a place, but also ‘falsehood’]
when she bare him” (Gen. 38:5). In our text we have “There
is a son born to Naomi” (Ruth 4:17). But the matter appears
as falsehood! Did Naomi give birth to him?’ ( l. 19–20). The
choice of the word referring to falsehood in place of other pos-
sibilities seems to me to indicate in the language of the story a
deliberate yet subtle allusion to the problematic history of this
family.
* The words “those fellows that know the mystery of the matter,
when they perform an act from Sabbath to Sabbath they con-
centrate their heart and will [in a way] that they shall draw
towards themselves that which they wish, and for this reason
they are called sons of the Holy One, blessed be He.” ( l. 32–34)
are apparently deliberately ambiguous. The phrase “an act from
Sabbath to Sabbath” bears connotations suggesting marital rela-
tions.51 Whoever has marital relations and produces children in

49 Zohar Óadash, Midrash ha-Nehelam on the Book of Ruth, 90 col. a.:

alw adsj wdyb[ ald . . . ˆaçpn ˆwnyab dsj h"bqh dyb[ ytkwd hmkb: rma hamys ybr'
[lgk' qyw'] ayhh çpnh ta ytdbahw' bytk μhyl[w . . . ? whyynym dyb[a hmw . . . rb wdyb[
50 Already in the Bible, there is a reference to the relationship between hell and

forgetfulness in the expression “the land of forgetfulness” (Ps. 88:13). It appears

explicitly in the Zohar I, 40a. In the Zohar Óadash, Midrash ha-Nehelam on the Book
of Ruth, 89, col. c, the forgetfulness department is reserved for those who were not
engaged in “being fruitful and multiplying,” hence, they would be forgotten “for
eternity.”
51 See B. Ketubut 62b.
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338 ronit meroz

the spiritual way of the members is as a son to the Holy One,

blessed be He. At the same time, one must note that the con-
text in which this statement appears is detached from the sub-
ject of marital relations. It relates to the kavvanahs that are
supposed to accompany the members on their travels and the
pursuing of devekut to the Holy One, blessed be He. Such an
ambiguous statement allows the writer to vindicate his ideal form
of kavvanah. If the nature of kavvanah while attempting to cling
to the Holy One, blessed be He, is likened to the nature of
marital relations, presumably it cannot be discursive and homilet-
ical. The silent nature of kavvanah is thereby inevitably stressed.
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the path of silence 339

The Path of Silence—Translation

[1] Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Yose were walking along the way.
[2–5] Rabbi Yose said to Rabbi Abba: I was wondering why your
lips do not whisper Torah? Behold—the road is yet before us and
we desire that we forget not the Torah so we may be joined with
the Holy One, blessed be He. For we have learned that whoever
walks along the way and labors in Torah, the Holy One, blessed be
He, comes and joins him; how much more so with the fellows whom
the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes their honor.
[6–7] He said to him: I was pondering the fact that the ancient
sages52 were sin-fearing pious people and they did not forget the
Torah, and even women would converse wisely.
[8–11] Come and see: in the generation of Boaz—what is writ-
ten? “And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who
has not left you this day without a kinsman, that his name may be
famous in Israel” [Ruth 4:14], ‘in Israel’ and not amongst the dead.
And by what name did the women call him? ‘Obed’ [Ruth 4:17].
‘Obed,’ certainly, and that is worthy in accordance with wisdom.
[12–15] Come and see: those that spoke these words to Naomi
to comfort her [did so] in wisdom. And what consolations did they
say in order to console her? They said: “And he shall be unto you
a restorer of a soul” [Ruth 4:15]. “A restorer of a soul”? “Your
soul” is what they should have said! But “a restorer of a soul” is a
secret and wisdom [lit. secret of wisdom], and it was through this
that she was comforted, and for this reason they told Naomi a mat-
ter upon which the consolation was dependent, that what had been
lost has been found.
[16–18] And now not even men know such things, and even in
this generation, with Rabbi Simeon in it, there are many who do
not contemplate wisdom; and there will not be another generation
like this one, how much more so will wisdom be forgotten in the
generations that shall come afterwards.
[19–22] Come and see: “And the women her neighbors gave it
a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi” [Ruth 4:17]. But

52 Nahmanides (see above, n. 20) emphasizes: “The earliest sages before the

Torah knew that there is great benefit in the levirate marriage of the brother.”
This emphasis stems from an awareness that levirate marriage took place prior to
the Giving of the Torah.
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340 ronit meroz

this matter appears as falsehood! Did Naomi give birth to him? How
could the Torah come to write such a thing? But surely it is indeed
thus! “There is a son born to Naomi” certainly, and neither to Boaz
nor to Ruth and the matter is fine, as it was written: “And it shall
be that the firstborn which she bears etc.” [Deut. 25: 6].
[23–24] Rabbi Yose said: Surely the matter is so. Happy is the
portion of Israel for they have the holy Torah to understand higher
secrets.
[25–36] Rabbi Abba said: it is written here “for your daughter
in law, which loves you has born him” [Ruth 4:15]. This love was
on account of the love of the dead, and has been [already] expounded.
“If he sets his heart upon man, if he gathers unto himself his spirit
and his breath” [ Job 34:14]. And if [it be so] in this matter, how
much more for one who places his will and heart with the Holy
One, blessed be He, that he will draw Him to himself.53 And for
this reason [—?—] all the supports of the Torah and the pillars of
the world, as it is written “and you shall love the Lord your God”
[Deut. 6:5], for on account of the great love he shall set his heart
and will towards Him, and in any case he shall draw Him unto him
to be found with him and to cleave together as one. And because
of this every action of kavvanah that he does is setting his heart and
his will on the same matter. How much more so those fellows that
know the mystery of the matter, when they perform an act from
Sabbath to Sabbath, they concentrate their heart and will [in a way]
that they shall draw towards themselves that which they wish, and
for this reason they are called sons of the Holy One, blessed be He.
[Therefore] it is said in this matter—whoever cleaves his heart with
the Holy One, blessed be He, he will surely draw Him to himself
and cleave to Him, and therefore “But you who did cleave unto
the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day” [Deut. 4:14].

Ronit Meroz, Ph.D. (1988), Hebrew University. Professor at the

Department of Hebrew Culture Studies, Tel-Aviv Universtiy, Israel.
She lately edited Volume 21–22 of Te’uda, called New Developments in
Zohar Studies (Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies, Tel-Aviv
University, 568 pp. [Hebr.]).

53 For the purpose of the translation I have altered the sentence structure in the

present sentence and thereby omitted the repetition of the issue of placing the will
with the Holy One, blessed be He.
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the path of silence 341

The Path of Silence—the Text 54

.'jrab ylza wwh yswy 'rw aba 'r [b 377] [1]

ajra ahw ,'tyyrwab ˆçjrm al ˚ytwwpç ˚yh ˚nym 'nhwwt :aba 'rl yswy r"a
ahd . h " bql ˆbg ' rbjtal ˆygb ' tyyrwa ˆnym yçnty ald ˆny[bw ˆmq
,hydhb 'rbjtal yta h"bq 'tyyrwab ldtçaw 'jrab lyzad ˆam yah—ˆnynt
.ˆwhyrqyb y[b h"bqd ayyrbj ç"k
yçnta al 'tyyrwaw hafj yljd ydysj wwh yamdq ahd anywh lktsm :l"a [6]
.whylym ˆyy[tçm wwh 'tmkjb ayçn 'ypaw whyynym
tybçh al rça yy ˚wrb ym[n la μyçnh hnrmatw' ?'ytk hm z[wbd 'rdb , j"t [8]
ˆarq amç hmw !'tymb alw larçyb ,[dy:d twr] 'larçyb wmç arqyw μwyh lawg ˚l
.'tmkjb yzjtya ykhw !yadw—'dbw[' .[zy:d twr] 'dbw[' ?ayçn hyl
,'tmkjd ˆylmb hl 'mjnl ˆygb ym[nl ˆyla ˆylm ˆyrma wwhd ˆwnya ,j"tw [11]
twr] 'çpn byçml ˚l hyhw'—wrma ah ?'mjntal hl yrmaqd 'mwjyn hmw
,'tmkjd awh azr 'çpn byçml' ala !hyl y[bm—'˚çpn' ?'çpn byçml' .[wf:d
tjkçad—ad hmjn ayylt hbd hlm ym[nl wrma ad l[w ,'mjnta adbw
.hdba
,hywgb ˆw[mç 'rd ad 'rdb ' ypaw ,whytwwk hlm y[dy al yrbwg 'ypa 'tçhw [16]
ˆyrd ç"k ad 'rdk ard ahy al ahd ,'tmkjb ylktsm ald ˆwnya ˆyaygs
.whyynym yçnty 'tmkjd ,rtbl ˆwtyyd ˆynrja
yah .[zy:d twr] 'ym[nl ˆb dlwy rmal μçe twnykçh wl hnarqtw'—j"t [19]
? ykh 'tkml 'tyyrwa ayyta ˚yh ?wtdly ym[n ykw !awh 'bydk yzjta hlm
rypçw twrl alw z[wbl alw ,yadw—'ym[nl ˆb dlwy' !awh ykh—yadw ala
.'wg [w:hk 'rbd] 'dlt rça rwkbh hyhw'—'ytkd wnyyhw ,awh
'çydq 'tyyrwa ˆwhl tyad larçyd ˆwhqlwj 'akz .awh ykh yadw :yswy r"a [23]
.ˆyaly[ ˆymyts [dnml
wmyjr .[wf:d twr] 'wtdly ˚tbha rça ˚tlk yk'—akh 'ytk :aba r"a [25]
wtmçnw wjwr wbl wyla μyçy μa' 'wmqwa ahw ,hwh 'tymd wmyjr ˆygb ad
h"bq ybgl 'tw[r ywwçd ˆam ykh anwwg yahb hmw .[dy:dl bwya] 'πwsay wyla
lk [?]ˆwnmta ad ˆygbw .hybgl hyl ˚wçmyd w"ka[ 'tw[rw abl hybgl ywçyw
ahd ,[h:w 'bd] '˚yhla yy ta yy ta tbhaw' 'ytkd ,'ml[ ymyyqw 'tyyrwa ykms
'jktçal hybgl hyl ˚wçmy p"k[w ,'tw[rw abl hylbql ywçy haygs wmyjr ˆygb

54 MS. Vatican 206, film number 264 at the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew

Manuscripts, The Jewish National and University Library, Jerusalem, pp. 377b–378a.
The 15th century manuscript, which is entirely devoted to the Zohar, is of Byzantine
provenance. Our text appears in the manuscript in the Torah portion, va-ethanan,
next to what is published in the Margulies’ edition, III, 261a, or between sections
17–18 in the Rabbi Ashlag edition, in the same portion
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342 ronit meroz

' ytw[rw hybl ywçyd 'nwwkl 'tdyby[ dyb[d hm lk ˚k ˆygbw .djk 'qbdtalw hym[
ynwwkmw tbçl tbçm 'tdyby[ ydb[ dk ,hlmd azr y[dyd ayrbj ç"kw .hlm awhhb
'mtyaw .h"bql ˆynb ˆwrqya ad l[w ,ˆa[b ˆwnyad hm whybgl ˆwkçmyd 'tw[rw abl
qbdtyw hybgl hyl ˚wçmy yadw h"bq ybgl abl qbdtad ˆam lk—ad anwwgk
.[d:d 'bd] 'μwyh μklwk μyyj μkyhla yyb μyqbdh μtaw'—˚k ynygb ,hydhb