זוהר ויקרא — דף נט ע”ב

We have learned that Rabbi Yossi said: once the world needed rain, and they came before Rabbi Shimon — Rabbi Yeisa, Rabbi Chizkiyah, and the rest of the companions. They found him going to see Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, he and his son Rabbi Elazar. As soon as he saw them, he opened and said: "a song of ascents; behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together." What is "brothers dwelling together"? As it is said, "and their faces one toward another" — at the hour when one was with another, gazing face to face, it is written, "how good and pleasant," but when the male turns his face away from the female, woe to the world, for then it is written, "and there is that is swept away without justice," without justice indeed, and it is written, "righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne," for they do not go one without the other, and when justice departs from righteousness — woe to the world.<br />
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And now I have seen that you have come because the male does not dwell with the female. He said: if you have come to me for this, sit, for today I looked and saw that all will return face to face to dwell; and if you have come for Torah, sit before me. They said to him: for everything we have come before our master; let one of us slip away to tell our brothers, the rest of the companions, and we will sit before our master. While they were still walking, he opened and said: "I am black but comely, daughters of Jerusalem, etc." The community of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: I am black in exile, and comely through the commandments of the Torah, for although Israel is in exile, they are not abandoned, "like the tents of Kedar" — those sons of Keturah who constantly come to greet them — and despite this, "like the curtains of Solomon," like that pure appearance of the heavens, as it is written, "who stretches out the heavens like a curtain."<br />
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"Do not look upon me, that I am swarthy" — what is the reason for "do not look upon me"? Because I am swarthy, for the sun has gazed upon me, for the sun did not look upon me to shine on me properly. And what do the children of Israel say? "My mother's sons were angry with me." Who are these "my mother's sons"? These are the great appointed officers who protect the other nations. Another interpretation: "my mother's sons" literally, as it is said, "He cast down from heaven to earth, etc.," and when He cast earth down from heaven, "they made me keeper of the vineyards." What is the reason? Because my own vineyard I did not keep. And we have learned that "my mother's sons" indeed conspired against me, that is to say, when the earth departed from heaven, as we have explained, as it is written, "and his sister stood far off."<br />
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And here it is said truly, "behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together," and concerning them we have explained "together," as it is said, "and yet for all that, when they shall be," the dwelling of brothers in general, since it is written "also" to include all those above, for all dominion is found in that same place. Another interpretation, "behold, how good and pleasant, etc." — these are the companions at the hour when they sit together and are not separated from one another; at first they appear like men arrayed for battle who wish to kill one another, and afterward they return to love and brotherhood. What does the Holy One, blessed be He, say? "Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together" — "also" to include the Shechinah among them, and not only this, but the Holy One, blessed be He, listens to their words and has satisfaction and rejoices in them; this is what is written, "then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, etc."<br />
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And you, the companions here, just as you were in affection and love before, so from now on you shall not separate from one another, until the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices with you, proclaims peace over you, and peace is found in the world because of you; this is what is written, "for the sake of my brothers and companions, I will now say: peace be within you." They walked on, and while they were still walking, they arrived at the house of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. Rabbi Pinchas came out and kissed him, and said: I have merited to kiss the Shechinah; happy is my portion. He prepared beds for them with woven bindings; Rabbi Shimon said: the Torah has no need of such things; he had them taken away, and they sat down. Rabbi Pinchas said: before we eat, let us hear a word from the master of the Torah, for Rabbi Shimon's words are all openly spoken; he is a man who fears neither above nor below to say them — not afraid from above, for the Holy One, blessed be He, has given His consent through him, and not afraid from below, like a lion who is not afraid of sheep. Rabbi Shimon said to his son Rabbi Elazar: stand in your place and say something new to Rabbi Pinchas and the rest of the companions.