זוהר ויקרא — דף לה ע”ב

Come and see: the world endures only through fragrance, and from this fragrance another fragrance becomes known. For at the moment the Sabbath departs and the additional soul ascends, the soul and spirit remain separated and saddened; then this fragrance comes, and they draw near to one another and rejoice. This is why one spirit needs another spirit to receive the fragrance; once the fragrance is received, they draw near as one and rejoice — such is the fragrance of the sacrifices: through this fragrance all draw near as one, the lamps are kindled, and they rejoice. Come and see: two lights, one above and one below; if a person inflames this lower light and extinguishes it, the smoke that rises inflames the upper light. So too with the smoke of the sacrifices: this rising smoke inflames the upper lights, which all blaze together as one, and all draw near as one through this fragrance; this is why it is "a pleasing odor to the Lord." And this is why the fragrance of the sacrifice sustains everything and sustains the world, and the sacrifice is performed by the priest's hand, who draws everything near — this is why the seven days of consecration were completed through him, so that all would be blessed through his service, and joys and blessings would be found above and below.<br />
<br />
On the verse "O Lord my God, I will exalt You" (Isaiah 25), it is explained that one must give thanks to the holy Name and praise Him for everything. And here, from the depth of it all, it is written "for You have done a wondrous thing," as it is written "and his name was called Wonderful." "Counsels from afar" — "counsels," as in "counselor"; "from afar," as it is written "the Lord appeared to me from afar" (Jeremiah 31), and it is written "she brings her bread from afar" (Proverbs 31). "Faithfulness, truth" — as it is said, "a God of faithfulness, without iniquity" (Deuteronomy 32). And "faithfulness" was explained as the night, as it is written "and Your faithfulness in the nights" (Psalm 92), and it is written "they are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3). And the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to purify Israel from their sins, as it is written "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you" (Ezekiel 36).<br />
<br />
"And it came to pass on the eighth day," etc. Rabbi Yitzhak opens: "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38): happy is Israel, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, gave a holy Torah, the joy of all, the joy of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His delight, as it is written "and I was His delight day by day" (Proverbs 8). And the whole Torah is a single Name of the Holy One, blessed be He; and through the Torah the world was created, as it is written "and I was beside Him as an amon" — do not read amon but uman (craftsman). And through the Torah man was created, this is what is written, "and God said, let us make man." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Torah: I wish to create man. She said before Him: this man is destined to sin and provoke You, and if You do not extend Your patience toward him, how will he endure in the world? He said to her: You and I will sustain him in the world, for it is not for nothing that I am called "slow to anger."<br />
<br />
Rabbi Chiya said: the Written Torah and the Oral Torah established man in the world; this is what is written, "let us make man in our image, according to our likeness." Rabbi Yossei said from here, "that which has already been made" (Ecclesiastes 2) — it has certainly been made, and this is image and likeness: image in the male, likeness in the female; and this is why the Torah begins with the letter Beit. Rabbi Yitzhak said: why is the Beit both open and closed? Because when a person comes to attach himself to the Torah, it is open to receive him and join with him; and when a person closes his eyes to it and goes another way, it is closed to him from the other side, as it is said, "if you forsake Me one day, I will forsake you two days." And he will not find an opening until he returns to attach himself to the Torah face to face, and does not forget it. This is why the Torah opens before the children of men, proclaims, and calls to them, "Unto you, O men, I call," etc., and it is written "at the head of the noisy streets she calls, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she speaks her words" (Proverbs 8, 1).