## Zohar, Vayera

###### Zohar, Vayera 16:1
[Zohar, Vayera 16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:1)

וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים סְדוֹמָה בָּעֶרֶב וְגו'. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָא וַיֵּלֶךְ יְיָ כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר אֶל אַבְרָהָם. דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵאַבְרָהָם, וְאַבְרָהָם תָּב לְאַתְרֵיהּ, כְּדֵין וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים סְדוֹמָה בָּעֶרֶב, דְּהָא חַד אִסְתַּלַּק בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ אִנּוּן תְּרֵין.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
AND THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM AT EVEN, ETC. R. Jose pointed out that the preceding verse, “And the Lord went his way as soon as he had left off speaking to Abraham”, indicates that only when the Shekinah departed from Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place, did “the two angels come to Sodom at eve”. (It says “two”, because one of the angels departed with the Shekinah, leaving only two.)


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:2
[Zohar, Vayera 16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:2)

כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לוֹט לוֹן, רָהַט בַּתְרַיְיהוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא, וְכִי כָּל אִנּוּן דְּהֲווּ אַתְיָין אִיהוּ אָעִיל לוֹן לְבֵיתֵיהּ וְיָהִיב לוֹן לְמֵיכַל וּלְמִשְׁתֵּי וּבְנִי מָתָא הֵיךְ לָא קָטְלִין לֵיהּ, דְּהָא לִבְרַתֵּיהּ עֲבְדוּ דִינָא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
As soon as Lot saw them he ran after them. Why so? Did Lot, then, take into his house all wayfarers and offer them food and drink? Would not the townspeople have killed him, and meted out to him the same treatment as they did to his daughter?


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:3
[Zohar, Vayera 16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:3)

וּמַאי הוּא. דִּבְרַתֵּיהּ דְּלוֹט יַהֲבַת פִּתָּא דְּנַהֲמָא לְחַד עַנְיָא, יָדְעוּ בָּהּ, שָׁפוּהָ דוּבְשָׁא וְאוֹתְבוּהָ בְּרִישׁ אִיגְרָא עַד דְּאֲכְלוּהָ צִרְעֵי.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
(For Lot’s daughter once offered a piece of bread to a poor man, and when it was found out, the people of the town covered her body with honey, and left her thus exposed on the top of a roof until she was consumed by wasps.)


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:4
[Zohar, Vayera 16:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:4)

אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה בְּלֵילְיָא חָשִׁיב דְּלָא יִסְתַּכְּלוּן לֵיהּ בְּנֵי מָתָא, וְעִם כָּל דָּא כֵּיוָן דַּאֲעָלוּ לְבֵיתָא אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ כֻּלְהוּ וְאַסְחָרוּ לְבֵיתָא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
The angels, however, came in the night, so that Lot thought that the townspeople would not notice it. Nevertheless, as soon as the visitors entered his house all the people assembled and surrounded the house.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:5
[Zohar, Vayera 16:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:5)

אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק אַמַּאי רָהַט לוֹט אֲבַּתְרַיְיהוּ, (אלא בגין) דִּכְתִיב וַיַּרְא לוֹט וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם. רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה וְרַבִּי יֵיסָא. חַד אָמַר דִּיוּקְנָא דְּאַבְרָהָם חָמָא עִמְהוֹן. וְחַד אָמַר שְׁכִינְתָּא אַתְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ. כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיַּרְא לוֹט וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם, וּכְתִיב הָתָם וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל. מַה לְהַלָּן חָמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא, אוּף הָכָא חָמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
R. Isaac put the question, “Why did Lot run after them?” R. Hizkiah and R. Yesa each gave an answer. One said that it was because he observed in them a likeness to Abraham; and the other, because he noticed the Shekinah hovering over them. This view is supported by the fact that of Abraham also it is written, “And he ran to meet them from the tent door”, and the words there are taken to mean that Abraham saw the Shekinah.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:6
[Zohar, Vayera 16:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:6)

וַיַּרְא לוֹט וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּה נָּא אֲדֹנַי בָּאָלֶ"ף דָלֶ"ת נוּ"ן יוּ"ד. סוּרוּ נָא, גְּשׁוּ נָא מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי סוּרוּ נָא. אֶלָּא לְאַהֲדָרָא לוֹן סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּבֵיתָא בְּגִין דְּלָא יֶחמוּן לוֹן בְּנֵי מָתָא, וְלָא יֵעֲלוּן בְּאוֹרַח מֵישָׁר לְבֵיתָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ סוּרוּ נָא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
AND LOT SAW AND RAN TO MEET THEM… AND HE SAID, BEHOLD NOW, MY LORDS, TURN ASIDE, I PRAY YOU. The expression “turn aside”, instead of “draw near”, implies that he took them by a roundabout way, so that the people of the town should not see them.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:7
[Zohar, Vayera 16:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:7)

רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח (איוב כ״ח:כ״ד) כִּי הוּא לִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶה. כַּמָּה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְאִשְׁתַּדָּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילֵי, דְּכָל מָאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתַּבַּח בֵּיהּ לְעֵילָא, וְאִשְׁתַּבַּח בֵּיהּ לְתַתָּא, בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי אִיהִי לְכָל אִנּוּן דְּעָסְקִין בָּהּ לְמֵיהַב לוֹן חַיִּין בְּעָלְמָא דֵין וּלְמֵיהַב לוֹן חַיִּין בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
R. Hizkiah here discoursed on the verse: *For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven* (Job 28, 24). ‘How incumbent it is’, he said, ‘upon the sons of men to contemplate the works of the Almighty and to busy themselves in the study of the Torah day and night, for through him who thus busies himself the Almighty is glorified on high and below. The Torah indeed is a tree of life for all those who occupy themselves with it, affording them life in this world and in the world to come.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:8
[Zohar, Vayera 16:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:8)

תָּא חֲזֵי, כִּי הוּא לִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט. לְמֵיהַב לוֹן מְזוֹנָא וּלְסַפָּקָא לוֹן מִכָּל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיכוּ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אַשְׁגַּח בָּהּ תָּדִיר, דִּכְתִיב, (דברים י״א:י״ב) תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יְיָ אֱלוֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרִשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
“For he looketh to the end of the land”, to give them food and to satisfy all their needs; for He continually holds it under His eye, as it is written. “The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” (Deut. 11, 12).


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:9
[Zohar, Vayera 16:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:9)

בְּגִין דְּאֶרֶץ דָּא מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ (משלי ל״א:י״ד) מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ, וּלְבָתַר אִיהִי יְהַבְתְּ מְזוֹנָא וְטַרְפָא לְכָל אִנּוּן חֵיוָן בְּרָא דִּכְתִיב (משלי ל״א:ט״ו) וַתָּקָם בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֹק לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
This is, again, the land of which it is written, “she bringeth her food from afar” (Prov. 31, 14), and then she provides food and sustenance for all those “beasts of the field”, for so it is written, “she riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens” (*Ibid.* I5).


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:10
[Zohar, Vayera 16:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:10)

וְעַל דָּא כִּי הוּא לִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶה. לְכֻלְהוּ בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לְמֵיהַב לוֹן מְזוֹנָא וְסִפּוּקָא לְכָל מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ כָּל חַד וְחַד דִּכְתִיב (תהילים קמ״ה:ט״ז) פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
It is further written: “Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest every living thing with favour” (Ps. 145, 16).


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:11
[Zohar, Vayera 16:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:11)

דָּבָר אַחֵר כִּי הוּא לִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט. לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא עוֹבָדוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ וּלְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּכָל מַה דְּעַבְדֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בְּעָלְמָא. תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְאֶה. מִסְתַּכֵּל וְחָמֵי לְכָל חַד וְחַד.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
According to another interpretation, “He looketh to the ends of the earth” so as to survey the works of each man and to examine the doings of mankind throughout the world: “and seeth under the whole heaven”, i.e. He scans and scrutinises each individual.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:12
[Zohar, Vayera 16:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:12)

תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עוֹבָדִין דִּסְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה, שַׁדַּר לוֹן לְאִנּוּן מַלְאָכִין לְחַבָּלָא לִסְדוֹם. מַה כְּתִיב וַיַּרְא לוֹט חָמָא לִשְׁכִינְתָּא. וְכִי מַאן יָכִיל לְמֶחמֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא, אֶלָא חָמָא זָהֲרָא חַד דְּנָהִיר דְּקָא סָלְקָא עַל רֵישַׁיְיהוּ. וּכְדֵין וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּה נָּא אֲדֹנַי בְּאָלֶ"ף דָלֶ"ת כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר, וּבְגִין שְׁכִינְתָּא הַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּנָהִיר קָאֲמַר, סוּרוּ נָא אֶל בֵּית עַבְדְּכֶם וְלִינוּ וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
Thus when the Holy One saw the works of Sodom and Gomorrah, He sent upon them those angels to destroy them.’ Thereupon, as it is written, “Lot saw,” to wit, the Shekinah. Not that anyone can see the Shekinah really, but he saw a resplendent halo about their heads, and therefore we read: “And he said, Behold now, my lords (Adonay)”, as has been already explained, and it was on account of the halo, the reflection of the Shekinah, that he said, “turn aside, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet”.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:13
[Zohar, Vayera 16:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:13)

לָא עֲבַד הָכִי אַבְרָהָם, אֶלָּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא אָמַר וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם וּלְבָתַר וְאֶקְחָה פַּת לֶחֶם וְגו'. אֲבָל לוֹט אָמַר סוּרוּ נָא אֶל בֵּית עַבְדְּכֶם וְלִינוּ. וּלְבָתַר וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם לְדַרְכְּכֶם. בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּן בְּהוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
This was not the way that Abraham acted. For he first said: “wash your feet”, and then: “and I will fetch a morsel of bread, etc.” Lot, however, first said, “turn aside, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night”, and then he said, AND WASH YOUR FEET AND YE SHALL RISE UP EARLY, AND GO ON YOUR WAY. His object was that the people should not become aware of their presence.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:14
[Zohar, Vayera 16:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:14)

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא כִּי בָרְחוֹב נָלִין. בְּגִין דְּכָךְ הֲווּ עָבְדֵי אוֹרְחִין דְּעָאלִין תַּמָּן לָא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ דְּיִכְנוֹשׁ לוֹן לְבֵיתָא, וְעַל דָּא אָמְרוּ לא כִּי בָרְחוֹב נָלִין. מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּפְצַר בָּם מְאֹד וְגו'.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
AND THEY SAID, NAY, BUT WE WILL ABIDE IN THE BROAD PLACE ALL NIGHT. that being the custom for visitors to those cities, as no one would take them into his house. The verse proceeds:AND HE URGED THEM GREATLY.


###### Zohar, Vayera 16:15
[Zohar, Vayera 16:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayera/r/16:15)

תָּא חֲזֵי כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּעָלְמָא, שְׁלִיחָא חָדָא עֲבִיד לֵיהּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא חָמֵינָן תְּרֵי שְׁלוּחֵי, אַמַּאי וְכִי לָא סַגֵּי בְּחַד. אֶלָא חַד הֲוָה, וּמַה דְּאָמַר תְּרֵי (הכי הוא ודאי בגין דחד) חַד הֲוָה לְאַפָּקָא לֵיהּ לְלוֹט וּלְשֵׁזָבָא לֵיהּ, וְחַד לְמֶהְפַּךְ לְקַרְתָּא וּלְחַבָּלָא אַרְעָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִשְׁתָּאַר חַד:

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
When the Holy One is about to execute judgement in the world, He sends one messenger for this purpose. Why, then, have we here two messengers, where one would have sufficed? The truth is that of the two angels one came to rescue Lot, and so only one was left to overthrow the city and destroy the soil.