זוהר ויקרא — דף מט ע”ב

"Unto You all flesh shall come" — this is at the time when the body dwells in suffering, in illnesses and afflictions, as it is said "and when a man has in the skin," "the plague in the skin of the flesh," "the living flesh." And therefore it is not written "all spirit shall come," but "all flesh shall come." What is "unto You"? Rather, as it is said "and he shall be brought unto the priest" — this is the Holy One, blessed be He. This is what is written "and if the priest shall see it." Come and see: in one place "Aaron the priest," and in another place "the priest" plainly — and this is the Holy One, blessed be He.<br />
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Rabbi Yitzchak said: but it is written "a plague of leprosy, when it shall be in a man, and he shall be brought unto the priest" — if so, is this the Holy One, blessed be He? He answered him: yes, for upon Him depend all purity and all holiness. He said to him: if so, why "he shall be brought"? Should it not rather be "he shall be raised up"? He answered him: as it is said "and its bars shall be brought into the rings," where one enters into the other — so here too "he shall be brought," that they may enter to the priest to purify him and bring the matter before him.<br />
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Rabbi Yitzchak said: thus have we learned, "a plague of leprosy": "plague" is the harsh judgment that dwells in the world; "leprosy" is a shutting-up, as it is said "the shutting-up of the supernal light," the shutting-up of the supernal good that does not descend into the world. "When it shall be in a man" — in any man. "And he shall be brought unto the priest" — this is the priest below, who is prepared to open that shutting-up and kindle lights, so that through him blessings be found above and below, and that plague shall pass and depart, and a light of mercy shall rest upon all.<br />
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Rabbi Abba said: I have seen those people of the world who do not pay attention and do not know the honor of their Master. It is written of Israel "whom I have separated from the peoples to be Mine," and it is written "and you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I the Lord am holy." If they distance themselves, where is their holiness? Behold, their will has distanced itself from Him, and Scripture proclaims and says "be not like the horse, like the mule, without understanding." In what do human beings differ from the horse and the mule? In their own holiness, that they be found whole and marked out above everything.<br />
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And therefore the union of human beings takes place at known times, to direct the will toward attachment to the Holy One, blessed be He. And it has been taught: at midnight the Holy One, blessed be He, enters the Garden of Eden to delight with the righteous, and the Community of Israel praises the Holy One, blessed be He, and this is a time of favor for attachment to them.<br />
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And the companions who labor in Torah join with the Community of Israel to praise the holy King, and occupy themselves with Torah for the sake of the rest of mankind; then is a time of favor to be sanctified in the holiness of the Holy One, blessed be He, and to direct the will toward attachment to Him. And those companions who labor in Torah, their union takes place at the time when another union occurs, and this is from Sabbath to Sabbath, to direct the will toward attachment to the Holy One, blessed be He, and to the Community of Israel, for it is a time of favor when all are blessed, the upper and the lower beings.<br />
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If human beings have distanced themselves from Him and act like beasts, where is their holiness, that they be found holy? Where are the holy souls that are drawn down from above? And King Solomon cries out and says "also, without knowledge, the soul is not good." "Also without knowledge" — who is the knowledge? This is the Holy One, blessed be He. "The soul is not good" — this is the soul that they draw through their deeds; it is not good, for from the other side a soul that is not good is drawn upon them, because they do not direct their heart toward the Holy One, blessed be He.<br />
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Whoever is inflamed by the evil inclination, without will or intent of heart toward the Holy One, blessed be He, from the side of the evil inclination there is drawn upon him a soul that is not good. This is what is written "also, without knowledge, the soul is not good, and he who hastens with his feet sins." Whoever hastens with his feet and pushes away the hour without holy will — he sins, he surely sins in everything.<br />
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And therefore evil afflictions dwell upon human beings, and testify on their faces to their insolence, to show that the Holy One, blessed be He, despises them and His mind is not upon them, until they become worthy and set their deeds right as before, and are blessed. And therefore the afflictions are known to the priest: those that come from the side of impurity, and those that come from the other side.<br />