זוהר ויקרא — דף נט ע”א

Another interpretation: "therefore the maidens love you" — well did he speak who said, "unto death they love you," for in this matter the masters of judgments are soothed, and because this incense is bound to the oil above more than anything, it is accounted before the Holy One, blessed be He, above all sacrifices and burnt offerings. The community of Israel said: I am like incense and You like oil, "draw me, we will run after You, etc." "We will run" — as it is said, "therefore the maidens love you," I and all the multitudes, for all are bound to me, and therefore "draw me," for it is on me that they depend. "The King has brought me into his chambers" — if he brings me into his chambers, we will be glad and rejoice in you, I and all the multitudes, for at the hour when the community of Israel is joyful and blessed, all are joyful and then judgment does not dwell in the world, and on this it is written, "let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult."<br />
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It is written, "for I will appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover." Happy are the righteous whom the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to honor. A king of flesh and blood — if a man rides his horse, he is mortal, but the Holy One, blessed be He, mounted Elijah upon His own, as it is written, "and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, etc.," and he did not die, for "I will appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover." And likewise the Holy One, blessed be He, brought Moses into it; this is what is written, "and Moses went into the midst of the cloud," into the midst of the cloud indeed, "for I will appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover." And this is what is written, "and the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day and smoke," and it is written, "for the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day." And we have learned what is written, "and the Lord descended in the cloud," "I will appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover" — this is the place where those cherubim dwelt, who sat upon the sign. And we have learned that three times a day a wonder occurred with their wings: at the hour when the King's holiness was revealed upon them, they themselves raised their wings and spread them and covered the ark-cover, and afterward they closed their wings and clung to them, as it is said, "and the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward" — spreading and not already spread, covering and not already covered, and in this sign they stood rejoicing with the Shechinah.<br />
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Rabbi Abba said: what was intended here, "for I will appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover," while it is written, "by this shall Aaron come," yet the priest does not see the Shechinah at the moment he enters? Rather, a cloud would descend, and as it descended it reached this ark-cover, and the wings of the cherubim were stirred and struck against one another and spoke a song. And what song did they speak? When they raised their wings: "for great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, He is awesome above all gods." And at the hour when they spread them, they said: "for all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." And when they covered the ark-cover, they said: "before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness," "and the peoples with equity." And their voices the priest would hear in the sanctuary, and then he would place the incense in its place, directing his intention according to his intention, so that all be blessed. And the wings of the cherubim rose and descended and sang songs, covering the ark-cover and lifting for it; this is what is written, "covering" — covering precisely. And from where do we know that their voices were heard? As it is said, "and I heard the voice, etc."<br />
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Rabbi Yossi said: "and the peoples with equity" — what is "with equity"? As it is said, "the upright (meisharim) love you," to include the two cherubim, male and female, equity indeed, and on this, "and the peoples with equity." And it is written, "and he heard the voice speaking to him" "from between the two cherubim, and it spoke to him." Rabbi Yitzchak said: from here we have learned that wherever male and female are not found together, it is not fitting to see the face of the Shechinah; this is what is written, "the upright shall dwell before Your face," and we have learned, it is written, "He is righteous and upright" — male and female, so too here the cherubim are male and female. And concerning them it is written, "You have established equity," "and the peoples with equity," and therefore, "and their faces one toward another," as we have already explained.