Translation:Zohar Chadash/111a

until she was seduced, then Waw Taw flew, four times, and surrounded Ot Mem on four sides, as it's written (Gen. 3), "WaTikach, And she took of the fruit WaTokhal and ate WaTiten and gave to her man WaTipakachna and were opened their eyes, both of them." Behold four times W' T', as they surrounded Ot Mem on four sides and with the Mem in the middle, MWT death on all sides.

[דף קיא ע"ב] עַד שֶׁנִתְפַּתֵּת וּפָרְחוּ וא"ו תי"ו, ד' זִמְנִין, וַאֲקִיפוּ לְאוֹת מ"ם לְד' סִטְרִין. דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית, ג) וַתִּקַּח מִפִּרְיוֹ וַתֹּאכַל וַתִּתֵּן גַּם לְאִישָׁהּ וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם. הָא ד' זִמְנִין ו' ת'. מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁסִּבְבוֹ לָאוֹת מ"ם לְאַרְבַּע צְדָדִין, וְהַמ"ם בָּאֶמְצַע, מָוֶת בְּכָל סִטְרִין.

As he said later (Jer. 9), "For MWT is come up in our windows" – this is S-M, who is one of the windows to heaven. And of this (Ps. 89:49), "What man is he that lives and will not see MWT?" Immediately he seized her and polluted her with impurity. The Holy Blessed One "came down to look" and Adam and his wife hid.

כמדָּבָר אַחֵר, (ירמיה, ט) כִּי עָלָה מָוֶת בַּחֲלוֹנֵינוּ. דָא סמאל, דְּאִיהוּ חַד מֵחַלּוֹנֵי שְׁמַיָא. וְעַל דָּא מִי גֶּבֶר יִחְיֶה וְלֹא יִרְאֶה מָוֶת. מִיָּד שָׁלַט בָּהּ, וְהִטִיל בָּהּ זוּהֲמָא. נָחַת קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶיחֱמֵי, וַיִּתְחַבֵּא הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ.

Come and behold. Before they erred, the Shekhina was a crown on their heads, it was (constantly) for their sake resting on the world. Once they erred, as it were, its strength wore out and it departed and ruled no more. And the Holy Blessed One started mourning and said, Eikhah, what's going to be of her, she's lost rule. So too with the ruin of the Beit haMikdash, it's lost rule, and the Holy Blessed One starts eulogizing and said, Eikhah, what's going to be with her.

תָּא חֲזֵי, קוֹדֶם שֶׁחָטְאוּ, הָיְתָה הַשְּׁכִינָה עֲטָרָה עַל רָאשֵׁיהֶם, לִהְיוֹת בִּשְׁבִילָם שׁוֹרָה עַל הָעוֹלָם. כֵּיוָן שֶׁחָטְאוּ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, תַּשׁ כֹּחָהּ, וְאִסְתַּלְּקַת וְלֹא שַׁלִּיטַת. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁארֵי לְקוֹנֵן, וְאָמַר אֵיכָה, מַה תְּהֵא מִינָהּ, שָׁלְטָנוּתָא אַעֲדוּ מִינָהּ. אוּף הָכָא בְּחוּרְבַּן בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, שׁוּלְטָנוּתָא אַעֲדוּ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁארֵי לְמִיסְפֵּד, וְאָמַר אֵיכָה, מַה תְּהֵא עָלֶיהָ.

(end of R' Chaninai and Rabbanan's answer)