(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ACHAREI MOT – click)
12) “Therefore thus says the Lord to the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham.” Should it not have written, “Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham”?
13) However, Jacob certainly redeemed Abraham because when Abraham fell into the furnace of fire of the Chaldeans, he was sentenced before the Creator, “By what merit would he be saved if he has no ancestral merit?” said the Creator to the courthouse of above. “He would be saved thanks to his sons, since a son makes his father worthy.” They said, “But Ishmael will come out of him.” The Creator said, “But Isaac will come out of him, who will stretch out his neck to be slaughtered on the altar.” They said, “But Esau will come out of Isaac.” The Creator said, “But Jacob will come out of him, who is a complete throne and whose sons are all whole before Me.” They said, “Indeed, thanks to that, Abraham will be saved,” as it is written, “Who redeemed Abraham.”
14) It is written, “Not now shall Jacob be ashamed, and not now will his face go pale,” since when he sees his children, the work of My hands within him, they will sanctify My name. Who are “his children, the work of My hands”? They are Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria, who threw themselves into a burning fire in order to sanctify His name.
“Not now will Jacob be ashamed.” Why is Jacob mentioned here? After all, it is written, “And among them were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria”? Thus, they are called “the children of Judah,” so it should have been written, “Not now will Judah be ashamed.” What is, “Not now will Jacob be ashamed”?
15) At the time when Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria were tied so as to drop them into the fire, each one raised his voice and spoke before all those nations, kings, and ministers. Hanania said, “Lord, it is not for me that I fear; what can man do to me? The Lord is for me as my helper; and I shall gaze upon them that hate me. …It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”
Mishael started and said, “‘And you, fear not, My servant Jacob,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you, for I will destroy completely all the nations … but you I will not destroy completely.’” At that time, when the nations and the ministers heard the name, Jacob, they wondered and laughed mockingly about him placing his trust in Jacob. Azaria started and said, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
16) It is written, “One will say, ‘I am for the Lord.’” This is Hanania, who said, “The Lord is for me, I will not fear.”
“And one will be called by the name of Jacob.” This is Mishael, who said, “Do not fear, My servant Jacob.”
And one will inscribe with his hand to the Lord and will call by the name of Israel.” This is Azaria, who said, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God.”
At that time the Creator gathered His household, the angels. He said to them, “By which word of those three words that they said will I save them?” They started and said, “And they will know that You, Your name is only the Lord, superior over the whole earth,” that He would save them because they trusted in the Creator.
17) At that time the Creator said to the throne, Malchut, “My throne, by which of those words that they said will I save those righteous?” She said to Him, “I will save them with the word that everyone mocked, ” meaning thanks to Jacob. “Not now shall Jacob be ashamed, and not now will his face go pale,” since they will see that they were saved by his merit.
As Jacob’s merit stood for Abraham in the fire, it will now stand for Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria, as it is written, “Thus says the Lord to the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham, not now will Jacob be ashamed, and not now will his face go pale,” from the disgrace of the mockery that the nations and the ministers joked about him.
18) All those who joked about Jacob were burned in that fire, and a spark of fire killed them. Who saved Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria? It was because they were praying before the Creator and unified His name properly. And for unifying His name properly they were delivered from that burning fire.
(înapoi la pagina ZOHAR CUPRINS / ACHAREI MOT – click)