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Session Seven
INTRODUCTION SOURCES: THE GAZELLE OF THE DAWN
Like "The Rose" and "Hear O Israel", our final text is a petichta, a sermon which begins with a verse from the Torah, then goes,
in depth, into a verse from elsewhere in the Bible, and finally
returns to the original verse. The opening verse mentions "the
first month", which is the Jewish month of Nisan, the month of
the Exodus, of Passover, and, according to some traditions, of
the messianic redemption in the future. The whole text is appropriately
permeated with a sense of urgency, and ends on a note of hope.
This selection is a rich example of how the Zohar works with and
transforms earlier writings. The ayelet -- the female gazelle
or deer, whose name is also given to the morning star, ayelet
ha-shachar ("gazelle of the dawn") -- is the subject of several
biblical verses and midrashic legends. Some of them are so strange
in their imagery that they seem to have come from much more ancient
myths. The authors of the Zohar, immersed in the words of the
Torah and Midrash, weave together strands from these earlier texts
and accentuate their strangeness and their mythic dimension. In
the Zohar the gazelle who is described in such emotional and human-like
terms is Malkhut. She is also called the Glory (Kavod) of God,
and to Her are applied verses from "Eshet Chayil", a passage from
Proverbs in praise of a capable woman, which is traditionally
sung at the table on Friday night in praise of both the woman
of the house and the Shekhinah.
In its exploration of gender, the Zohar follows its midrashic
sources by playing with a grammatical quirk in Psalm 42:2, "k'ayal
ta'arog al afikei mayim...", "Like a gazelle, as she moans for
streams of water..." In Hebrew, both nouns and verbs are either
masculine or feminine, and normally agree in gender. In this verse,
though, the verb is a feminine form (ta'arog, "as she moans"),
but the form of the noun is masculine -- ayal, a male gazelle,
instead of ayala or ayelet, a female gazelle. When the Zohar or
its sources draw attention to this grammatical inconsistency,
I will translate ayal as "male gazelle"; when they do not draw
attention to it, the translation will just say "gazelle", but
the Hebrew remains the same. Except for this verse, "gazelle"
in the translation stands for the feminine form, ayala or ayelet.
The Zohar has combined different sayings about the gazelle, and
added to them, to make one continuous story about Malkhut. As
the verse from Psalm 42 suggests -- "like a gazelle, as she moans
for streams of water, so my soul moans for you, God" -- this is
also a story about the soul, about each one of us. It is a story
that lends itself to visualization or guided meditation. The meanings
of the story -- for example, where the gazelle's journey takes
her and what the powers are that she encounters -- are not clear,
and the commentators disagree. But her strength, compassion and
courage shine through very clearly.
You are invited to read the selection of early sources which the
Zohar draws on, and then read the passage from the Zohar itself.
All of them deserve reflection.
K'ayal ta-arog al afikei mayim, kein nafshi ta-arog eilekha Elohim.
Like a (male) gazelle as she moans for streams of water, so my
soul moans for You, God {Psalm 42:2}.
Kol Adonai y'choleil ayalot, vayechesof y'arot, uv'heichalo kulo
omer kavod.
"The voice of YHVH makes the gazelles give birth; it uncovers
honeycombs; and in his palace all says 'Glory'" {Psalm 29:9. The
Hebrew is obscure; some translations, instead of "makes the gazelles
give birth", have "makes the oaks whirl" (NRSV); instead of "uncovers
honeycombs": "strips forests bare", or "brings ewes to early birth"
(NRSV, JPS).
[God] has made my feet like gazelles and made me stand on my high
places {II Samuel 22:34 and Psalm 19:34, cf. Habakuk 3:19}.
For the Conductor, on "the gazelle of the dawn", a Psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Far from my deliverance
are the words I groan... {Psalm 22:1-2}
A beloved gazelle, a graceful mountain-goat; let her breasts satisfy
you at all times, be infatuated with love of her always {Proverbs
5:19; the Talmud, Eruvin 54b and Ketubot 57b, interprets this
as praise of the Torah
I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by ts'va'ot or by the gazelles
of the field, lest you wake up or arouse love before its pleases
{Song of Songs 2:7 and 3:5. Ts'va'ot can either be a name of
God, "Lord of Hosts", or a word for deer}.
Another interpretation of "For the conductor, on 'the gazelle
of the dawn', a Psalm of David". Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Shim'on
said: If there are snakes in a house, we bring the horn of a gazelle
and burn the inside of it to fumigate the house, and immediately
the snake flees. And you will find that the gazelle, when she
is thirsty, digs a hole, and enters her horns into it, and lows,
and immediately the Deep raises water to her. As it is said, "Like
a gazelle, as she moans for streams of water" {Psalm 42:2}. And
our Rabbis have said that she is the kindest of the animals, and
she has more compassion than she has children. When all the animals
are thirsty they gather around her, since they know her kind deeds,
so that she will raise her eyes on high, and the Blessed Holiness
will have compassion for them. What does she do? She digs a hole
and enters her horns into it, and lows, and the Deep raises water
to her, as it is said, "Like a gazelle, as she moans for streams
of water" {Psalm 42:2}. When David saw how the Blessed Holiness
answers her, he began the arrangement of a psalm with her: "For
the conductor, on 'the gazelle of the dawn'" {Midrash Tehillim
22:14}.
"For the Conductor, a wisdom-song of the sons of Korach... Like
a male gazelle [ayal] as she moans [ta'arog] for streams of water"
{Psalm 42:1-2}. Why "like a male gazelle, as she moans?" It does
not say "like a female gazelle [ayelet]" but "like a male gazelle,
as she moans" -- male and female. Just as the female gazelle,
when she is in labour, is in pain and moans to the Blessed Holiness,
and He answers her, so the sons of Korach cried out from trouble
to the Blessed Holiness, and He answered them. So it is said "like
a male gazelle, as she moans" {Midrash Tehillim 42:1}.
Note: According to this midrash, the male gazelle is an image
of the male children of Korach; but the female verb is used because
they wanted to cry out and be heard like the female gazelle.
"Do you guard the birthing of gazelles?" {Job 39:1} [God says]:
The gazelle's womb is narrow. But when she is in labour, I prepare
a dragon for her, and it bites the opening of her womb and tears
it so that she gives birth. Were he to arrive even a moment earlier
or even a moment later, she would die... {Talmud Bava Batra 16b}
And one source text that is not about the gazelle:
Moses struck the rock {Numbers 20:11} and it brought forth: as
it is said, "Did he not strike the rock, and it flowed..." {Psalm
78:20} -- and "flowed" must refer to blood, as it is written,
"If a woman has a flow, her blood flowing..." {Leviticus 15:12}.
That is why Moses struck the rock twice, since blood came out
first, and then, in the end, water {Midrash Rabbah, Exodus, 3:13}.
BIBLICAL VERSES
The Zohar draws the following Biblical verses into the story of
the gazelle:
Uvachodesh harishon, b'arba-a asar yom lachodesh, Pesach l'Adonai.
"And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, the
Passover of YHVH" {Numbers 28:16}.
Vatakom b'od laila, vatitein teref l'veita, v'chok l'na-aroteha.
"She gets up while it is still night and gives food to her household
and a portion to her maidens" {Proverbs 31:15; Eshet Chayil}.
K'mo hara takriv laledet, tachil tiz-ak bachavaleha, kein hayinu
mipanecha Adonai.
"Like a pregnant woman, close to giving birth, who begins to cry
out in her agonies, so we have been before Your face, YHVH" {Isaiah
26:17}.
Hak'firim sho-agim lataref, ul'vakeish mei-El ochlam. Tizrach
hashemesh, yei-aseifun, v'el m'onotam yirbatsun.
"The young lions roar for their food, to ask God for their nourishment.
When the sun rises, they are gathered [and go to lie down in their
dens" {Psalm 104:21-22}.
Ya-an'cha Adonai b'yom tsara, y'sagev'cha sheim Elohei Ya-akov.
"May YHVH answer you on the day of trouble, may the Name of the
God of Jacob protect you" {Psalm 20:2}.
Vayarem Moshe et yado vayach et hasela b'mateihu pa-amayim, vayeits-u
mayim rabim, vateisht ha-eida uv'iram.
Moses raised his hand, and he struck the rock with his staff,
twice, and much water came out, and the community drank, and their
cattle" {Numbers 20:11}.
Vatisa-eini ruach, va-eshma acharai kol ra-ash gadol: Baruch k'vod
Adonai mimkomo.
"A wind lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great roaring voice:
Blessed is the Glory of YHVH from its place!" {Ezekiel 3:12, Kedushah
in daily prayers}.
THE GAZELLE OF THE DAWN
Zohar III (Pinchas) 249a-b
"And in the first month"... {Numbers 28:16}.
Rabbi Abba opened: "K'ayal ta'arog... Like a male gazelle, as
she moans for streams of water, so my soul moans for You, God"
{Psalm 42:2}.
The meaning of this verse has been established, but even though
there is masculine and feminine, all is one. This ayal is called
masculine, and he is called feminine, since it is written "like
a male gazelle, as she moans" and it is not written "as he moans"
(ya'arog). And all is one.
"Ayelet hashachar -- the gazelle of the dawn, the morning star"
{Psalm 22:1}. What is the gazelle of the dawn? She is an animal
who is compassionate; among all the animals in the world, none
is compassionate like her. Because, at a time when time is pressing
on her and she needs to feed herself and all the animals, she
goes into the distance, by a distant path, and brings food. And
she does not want to eat until she comes back and returns to her
place. Why? So that the rest of the animals may gather to her,
so that she may divide that food for them. When she comes back,
all the rest of the animals are gathered to her, and she stands
in the middle and distributes portions to each and every one.
A reminder of this is: "She gets up while it is still night and
gives food to her household..." {Proverbs 31:15; Eshet Chayil}.
And from what she distributes to them, she is satisfied, as if
she had eaten more food than all of them.
And when morning is coming -- which is called shachar, "dawn"
-- the pains of exile come upon her. That is why she is called
the gazelle of shachar -- because of the blackness of the morning,
because she experiences pains like one who is giving birth. As
it is written, "like a pregnant woman, close to giving birth,
who begins to cry out in her pains..." {Isaiah 26:17}.
The word shachar, "dawn", is also connected with "blackness" and
with "searching".
When does she distribute portions to them? When the morning is
about to come, while it is still night; when the blackness is
rising to give light. As when you say, "She gets up while it is
still night and gives food to her household..." When the morning
gives light, all are satisfied by her food.
Then one voice is aroused in the middle of the sky and calls out
loudly, "Those who are near, come to your places. Those who are
far, leave. Let each and every one be gathered to the place that
is appropriate for it." When the sun shines, each and every one
is gathered to its place. As it is written, "When the sun rises,
they are gathered..." {Psalm 104:21-22}.
And she goes in the day, and is revealed at night, and distributes
portions by morning. That is why she is called the gazelle of
the dawn. Afterwards, she strengthens herself like a hero*, and
goes, and she is called ayal (male gazelle).
[* "Hero": gibor.]
To what place does she go? She goes two leagues from the place
from which she emerges, and enters the mountain of darkness, and
goes on from there on a journey for food.
As she goes within that mountain of darkness, a crooked snake
makes its way to her feet, and goes to her feet.
But she goes up from there onto a mountain of light. When she
reaches it, the Blessed Holiness prepares, for her, another snake;
it emerges and one attacks the other, and she is rescued.
And from there she takes food and returns to her place in the
middle portion of the night. And from the middle portion of the
night, she begins to distribute portions until the blackness of
the morning rises. When the day gives light, she goes, and she
is not seen, as has been said.
And at a time when the world needs rain, all the rest of the animals
are gathered to her, and she goes up to the peak of a high mountain,
and conceals her head between her knees and lows, lowing again
and again. And the Blessed Holiness hears her voice and is filled
with compassion, and takes care of the world. But she descends
from the peak of the mountain and runs and hides herself. And
all the rest of the animals run after her, but they do not find
her. As it is written, "Like a gazelle, as she moans for streams
of water" {Psalm 42:2}. What is "for streams of water"? For water
from those streams which have dried up, and the world thirsts
for water -- then she moans.
At the time when she is pregnant, she is closed up, and when her
time comes to give birth, she lows and raises her voice, voice
after voice, up to seventy voices, like the number of words in
"May YHVH answer you on the day of trouble..." {Psalm 20}, which
is the song of this pregnancy.
And the Blessed Holiness hears her, and makes preparations for
her. Then one mighty snake emerges from inside the mountains of
darkness, and comes between the mountains, its mouth licking at
the dust. When it reaches that gazelle, it comes and bites her
in that place, two times.
The first time, blood flows out, and she licks it.
The second time, water flows out, and all the cattle of the mountains
drink. And she is opened and gives birth.
A reminder of this is: "and he struck the rock with his staff,
twice", and it is written, "the community drank, and their cattle"
{Numbers 20:11}.
At that time, when the Blessed Holiness takes care of her and
the work of that serpent, what is written? "The voice of YHVH
makes the gazelles give birth; it uncovers honeycombs [and in
his palace all says 'Glory']" {Psalm 29:9}.
"The voice of YHVH makes the gazelles give birth" -- those pains
and suffering were to arouse those seventy voices.
Immediately, "it uncovers honeycombs" to arouse that serpent --
and to reveal that animal among the others, to keep her going.
"And in his palace" -- what is "and in his palace"? In the palace
of the Blessed Holiness, all those multitudes open their mouths
and say "Glory"! What is Glory? "Blessed is the Glory of YHVH
from its place!" {Ezekiel 3:12, Kedushah}.
"And in the first month..." -- what is "the first month"? It is
the month in which that animal is revealed and in which she is
strengthened and emerges into the world.
"And she licks it": This is the literal translation, but according
to the commentaries it should be "and it" -- meaning the snake
-- "licks it".
COMMENTARY
We have been paying attention to gender in the Zohar's imagery,
and here is a text which begins by addressing the meaning of male
and female. Yet the meaning it spells out is elusive.
As mentioned in the introductory essays, in the standard Kabbalistic view of gender, the quality of compassion
is associated with masculinity, while power and harshness are
associated with femininity. This coexists with the somewhat incompatible
idea, rooted in medieval philosophy, of the masculine as active
and the feminine as receptive or passive. Meanwhile, the medieval
Christian culture which surrounded the authors of the Zohar associated
compassion with the feminine (for example in images of the virgin
Mary) and power with the masculine (for example in the heroism
of knights), as does the culture around us to this day. The Zohar
is thus playing with overlapping and conflicting characterizations
of what each gender is about. Since the gazelle is strongly characterized
as feminine and displays intense activity, yet without much power,
and deep compassion, the Zohar is overturning the expectations
of its own system here. And it begins by calling into question
all distinctions of gender: "even though there is masculine and
feminine, all is one" -- though it could also be read as saying
that this gazelle is really male: "this ayal is called masculine,
and he is called feminine." The whole passage is worth rereading
through different lenses: intellectually and critically to try
to pinpoint its conceptualization of gender; imaginatively, with
emotional openness, to feel whether it can add anything about
our own sense of what it means to be female or male.
Sexual imagery is surprisingly lacking here. Of course there are
moments that lend themselves to Freudian interpretation, for example
the imagery of the snake, or Moses's staff (which, in the Torah,
turned into a snake). However, given the Zohar's wide-ranging
use of sources, we might have expected it to draw on other midrashic
sources where the gazelle is the subject of sexual imagery (for
an example, see Talmud Eruvin 54b or Ketubot 57b, which I mentioned
earlier but did not quote because of their crudity). Besides,
the entire sense of sexual intimacy between Malkhut and Tif'eret
which we have seen elsewhere in the Zohar is missing here. Malkhut
in the person of the gazelle is not the lover of the Blessed Holiness,
or in any way on the same plane as He is; She is far from Him
and waiting for His help.
This is very much about Malkhut identified with the Jewish people
in exile, and with all people in a world of brokenness and suffering.
The choice of animal imagery increases the sense of Her earthboundness
and frailty. The gazelle here is what classicial Jewish tradition
calls "the Shekhinah in exile"; but here She is not only sharing
the exile with us, but working to sustain us during it and perhaps
to end it.
The child to be born to her is perhaps the Messiah, or the new
redeemed world. Yet, with all the imagery of labour pains, this
text leads up to the birth but never tells us about the baby.
Redemption from exile remains deferred, not yet describable.
It is not clear, and the commentators disagree, what all the stages
of the gazelle's journey "mean". The snake which bites her may
be the demonic powers. Those powers are nourished through Malkhut;
here, according to the commentators, they drink the blood that
comes from her, though they do not have a hold on her directly.
Yet at the same time God uses these powers for the good of Malkhut
-- to open her womb. The other snakes, which fight each other,
and the mountains of darkness and light, might be aspects of Gevurah
and Chesed [* LINK to these Sefirot in the course introduction.]
Certainly the "streams which have dried up", mentioned toward
the end of the text, are the Sefirot in a state of disconnection
from the world, the state of exile. The other animals are probably
angelic powers as well as personifications of our own needs. In
any case, the gazelle is journeying among manifestations of God
and among angelic and demonic powers, looking for nourishment.
She is a fitting representative of us, as we learn together, making
our way through the pages of the Zohar, looking for moments of
discovery or connection that make the challenging journey worthwhile.
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION
There is one more module in this course in which we'll try to
bring things together and point ways to further learning. If you
have questions or suggestions for what should be included in that
module, please post them now!
Torah often speaks about God's compassion for us, but in stories
like this one the Zohar wants to arouse our compassion for God,
our empathy for Malkhut in her struggles. How would it feel to
have empathy with God as part of our prayers and our lives?
On the question of gender and its stereotypes, what do you find
in this text that reinforces gender stereotypes (theirs or ours)?
What can you find to nourish the questioning or undermining of
limited views of gender?
The introduction to this course mentioned the exposure of Spanish
Jews to Christian preaching, and the Zohar's appropriation of
Christian imagery. [* LINK to that section of the course introduction].
In addition to the midrashic source for the blood and water which
flow from the gazelle -- the legend about the rock which Moses
struck -- it is possible that the authors of the Zohar had in
mind this well-known moment in the crucifixion story from the
Gospel of John: "When (the soldiers) came to Jesus, and saw that
he was dead already... one of the soldiers, with a spear, pierced
his side, and immediately there came out blood and water" {John
20:33-34}. If there is a connection, what have the authors of
the Zohar have accomplished by reworking this imagery?
We are coming to the end of our journey through the Zohar in this
course, in some ways a counterpart to the gazelle's dangerous
journey. What have you found in the Zohar to nourish yourself?
What have you found to bring to the world?