זוהר ויקרא — דף מב ע”א

Rabbi Yitzhak teaches that whoever becomes defiled by forbidden foods is as though he had worshipped an idol, "for they are impure," and he leaves the side of life and the domain of holiness to enter another domain, becoming defiled both in this world and in the World to Come — this is why it is written "and you shall become defiled by them, without the letter aleph." The verse "you shall not make your souls abominable through beasts and birds" is explained as referring to making the idol-worshipping nations impure, for they come from the side of impurity, and each side clings to its own place.<br />
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Rabbi Elazar asks Rabbi Shimon, his father, by what means the Holy One, blessed be He, will purify Israel in the future, and he answers with the verse "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean." Once they are purified they become sanctified, and Israel, who cling to the Holy One, blessed be He, are called holy, as it is said "Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His produce" and "you shall be holy men to Me."<br />
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It is brought in the Ra'aya Meheimna: fish and locusts require no ritual slaughter, for their mere gathering is what permits them; likewise the disciples of the sages draw their life from the Torah, and if they separate from it they die at once, just as fish of the sea, if they go up onto dry land and lose their way, die — but man, who is above them all, it is said of him "let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky." At a time when there is dispute among the masters of the Mishnah, called serpents, "he devours his fellow" — one who has not yet reached the level of rendering halachic decisions is liable to death; but if they are equal to one another and there is dispute and difficulty between them, it is said of them "and Vaheb in Suphah," which was interpreted as love at its end.<br />
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Here opens the portion of Tazria: "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: a woman, when she conceives and bears a male child." Rabbi Elazar opens with the verse "upon my bed at night I sought," and explains that the Community of Israel says this before the Holy One, blessed be He, concerning the exile, for she dwells among the other nations with her children and lies in the dust, and because she lies in another, impure land, she says: "it is upon my bed that I make my request, for I ache (lie) in exile."<br />
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She continues: "I sought him but did not find him" — for it is not his way to unite with me except in his own palace; "I called him but he did not answer me," for she dwells among other nations, and His voice is heard only by His children, as it is written "has a people ever heard the voice of God."<br />