ゾハル、ノア 2

1Rabbi Elazar opened his discourse "Come, behold the works of Hashem, who has made desolations in the earth" (Tehilim 46:9). "Come, behold (Heb. חֲזוּ)": what is the meaning of "behold?" It is related to the verse, "a grievous vision (Heb. חָזוּת) has been declared to me (Yeshayah 21:2). Because by His deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals his prophecy to man. And when a prophecy is revealed by preceding grievous deeds, it is called 'a grievous vision.' "Who has made desolations (Heb. שַׁמּוֹת)" assuredly alludes to names (Heb. שֵׁמוֹת), for a name is the cause of everything that happens.

2The verse states: "And he called his name Noah, saying: This..." (Gen. 5:29). Why does the verse read, "saying: This?" The word "saying" refers to the Female Principle (Malchut) while "This" refers to the Righteous. It is written here and elsewhere, "This one shall comfort us" (Ibid.), "This is Hashem; we have waited for Him" (Yeshayah 25:9). Blessed are the righteous who are marked with the imprints of the ring of the King, for they are marked with His name. And He has put "names on earth, so that everything can be called by its name correctly.

3The verse states: "And he called his name (Heb. אֶת) Noah," and it is also written: "And he called his name Jacob" (Gen. 25:26). Why does it not say אֶת (regarding Jacob)? Because each one refers to a different level. As it is written in the verse: "I saw (אֶת) Hashem" (Yeshayah 6:1). It does not say 'I saw Hashem,' but "אֶת Hashem." (This indicates that the particle אֶת (the) has a specific meaning). Here too, it is written of Noah: "And he called his אֶת name Noah." As for, "And he called his name Jacob," in reality his level is that of the Holy One, blessed be He, and this is why the particle אֶת is not mentioned there. But with Noah, the particle אֶת is mentioned so as to connect him with the Shechinah.