זוהר ויקרא — דף מה ע”ב

This is why the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees a male or a female, so that desire may be found in the world. And in everything, a person must bind his desire above to the Holy One, blessed be He, so that desires may be found in the world. Happy is the portion of the righteous, who know how to bind their desire to the Holy King; of them it is written, "and you who cling to the Lord your God are all alive today" (Deuteronomy 4).<br />
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"When a man has on the skin of his flesh a swelling, an eruption, or a bright spot," etc. Rabbi Yehuda opened and said, "Do not look at me, for I am swarthy, because the sun has gazed upon me" (Song of Songs 1). This verse has already been explained, but at the time the moon veils herself in exile, she says, "do not look at me." Not that she commands that she not be looked at, but because she sees Israel's longing toward her to see her light, she says, "do not look at me" — you will not be able to see me. "Do not look at me," surely. What is the reason? Because I am swarthy, because I am in darkness.<br />
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What does "swarthy" mean? It should have said "black"! Rather, there are two darknesses: one, "because the sun has gazed upon me," for the sun withdrew from me, from shining on me and looking at me; and one, "because my mother's sons were incensed against me."<br />
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"Has gazed upon me"?! It should have said "has scorched me"! Rather, he hints at this by the number six: for when the sun shines, it shines with six lights, and when it withdraws, all six of those lights withdraw. "My mother's sons" — these are the ones who come from the side of harsh judgment. "Were incensed against me," as it is said, "my throat is parched." This is what is written, "we are pursued, upon our necks" (Lamentations 5): for when Israel entered exile, they walked with their hands bound behind them, and a millstone upon their necks, and they could not open their mouths.<br />
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"They made me keeper of the vineyards" — to go into exile, to guard the other nations for Israel's sake. "My own vineyard I have not kept" — for I could not keep it as before. At first I kept my own vineyard, and through it the other vineyards were kept. Now I keep the other vineyards for the sake of my own vineyard, that it may be kept among them.<br />
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Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yossei were walking along the road. When they reached a certain field, they saw a balsam tree on the right side of the road. Rabbi Yossei said: a veil of smoke lies before our eyes; we have no permission to look upon it with joy since the day the Temple was destroyed.<br />
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He opened and said, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" (Psalms 24). Since it says "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof," why "the world, and they that dwell therein"? Is the world not part of the earth? Rather, this is what he meant: "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" — this is the holy land, called the tree of life; "the world, and they that dwell therein" — these are the other lands, as it is said, "and He shall judge the world in righteousness" (Psalms 9), for the world depends upon righteousness, and all is one thing.<br />
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Rabbi Chiya said: "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" — so much for the earth; what does "and the fullness thereof" mean? These are the souls of the righteous. "The world, and they that dwell therein" — the world is the land below, and "they that dwell therein" are the children of men. Rabbi Yossei said: if so, how have we explained, "for He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers"? He said to him: surely it is so, that that land of life is "founded upon the seas and established upon the rivers," for all of them flow out from that upper river that pours forth and goes out from Eden, and through them it is prepared to be crowned with the Holy King and to nourish the worlds.<br />
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"Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord," etc., "he who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul in vain," etc. It is written "his soul" — what is the meaning of "my soul" and "his soul"? Rather, all is one thing, as it is said, "the Lord God has sworn by Himself" (literally "by his soul") (Amos 6), "as I live in my heart and in my soul, so shall it be done" (I Samuel 2). And King David was bound to that same heart and that same soul, and therefore he did not lift up his soul in vain.<br />
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While they were walking, they met a man whose face was covered with sores, rising up from beneath a tree. They looked at him and saw his face red with those sores. Rabbi Chiya said: who are you? He said to him: I am a Jew. Rabbi Yossei said: he is a sinner, for otherwise his face would not bear the mark of these evil afflictions, and these are not called sufferings of love. Rabbi Chiya said: it is certainly so, for sufferings of love are hidden from the children of men.