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A lion has roared, who can but fear?
Amos 3: 8
THE SYMBOLIC VALUE of the Zohar depended, to a great extent, on its perception as an authoritative source—one that contained binding prescriptions both in kabbalistic doctrine and in Jewish custom and law. Indeed, shortly after the earliest zoharic texts (which already proclaimed R. Shimon's supremacy) began to circulate and the idea of the Zohar as a book emerged, some kabbalists began to present it as a work of great influence.
From the end of the fifteenth century on, and especially in the early sixteenth century, the Zohar's growing authority was evident, particularly among Sephardi sages. Following the expulsion, its elevation to a place of prominence played a pivotal role in the struggle of the elite circle of Spanish exiles to assert themselves in their new places of settlement. The Zohar was soon accepted as a supreme source of authority in the communities where they exerted their influence. With the proliferation of printing, Spanish Jewish culture also made a considerable impact in eastern European communities. In what follows I discuss the various manifestations of the supremacy of the Zohar and the historical and social contexts that led to its recognition in most Jewish communities in the early modern period.
Declarations concerning the exalted status of the Zohar's protagonists, mainly of R. Shimon, are found in the zoharic literature itself. The choice of R. Shimon for the leading role, his comparison to Moses, and the proclamation of his superiority granted the secrets he conveyed paramount importance. His power surpassed that of other sages because God had given him permission to reveal those secrets: ‘Come and see—human beings are not permitted to utter hidden words and interpret them, except the holy light, R. Shimon, because the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him permission’ (Zohar iii. 149a).
The emergence of the idea of the Zohar as a book was instantly followed by proclamations of its authority:
‘The Enlightened will shine like the splendour of the firmament’: these are R. Shimon bar Yohai and his companions, R. Eleazar his son, R. Abba, R. Jose, R. Hiya, R. Isaac, and the rest of the companions, who have shone above like the splendour of the firmament. What does ‘like the splendour’ mean?
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