Sunday, August 14, 2011

Christian Influence in the Zohar?




This citation from the Zohar comes from Sefer Shemot 43B . See for yourself and judge whether you think that this is from Shimon Bar Yochai and whether or not this exhibits a "trinitarianesque" view.

שמע ישראל יי' אלהינו יי' הא כלהו חד

I would read this as " 'Hear O Israel HaShem is our G-d HaShem' These are all one"

this is where the grammar and reading of the Zohar gets choppy which is one reason why I hold it in no esteem because it was such a late work by Moshe De Leon in the 1500's.

ועל דא אקרי אחד, הא תלת שמהן אינון, היך אינון חד

the literal translation is so much fun it would literally read in the first clause "And upon the back of I will read one" The whole thing, fun aside, "Upon going back I read one, Let's suppose these are Three names. In what way are they one?"

ואף על גב דקרינן אחד היך אינון הד

"Even upon going back to read one, in what way are these one?"

אלא בחזיונא דרוח קדשא אתיידע ואינון בחיזו דעינא סתימא למנדע דתלתא אלין אחד

"But in seeing these from the holy Spirit I know these by seeing through the hidden eye to know that these three are one.

ודא איהו רזא דקול דאשתמע קול איהי חד ואיהו תלתא גוונין אשא ורוחא ומיא וכלהו חד

" This is the secret of the audible voice, one voice, just as these three elements "fire, spirit, and water" are all one" The completion of the sentence is below!

ברזא דקול אוף הכא יי' אלהינו יי' אינון חד, תלתא גוונין ואינון חד

"It is in the secret of the voice also that these 'HaShem Eloheynu HaShem' are one. three elements that are one.