זוהר ויקרא — דף סא ע”ב

And we have learned: all those leaders of the world who exist in every single generation, before they come into the world, already stood before Him with their own image. Even all the souls of the children of man, before they descend into the world, are all engraved before Him in the firmament, in that very same image they have in this world. And whatever they learn in this world, they already knew before coming into the world. And we have learned: this concerns those true righteous ones. And all those who are not found righteous in this world, even there they are kept far from before the Holy One, blessed be He, and enter the hole of the great abyss, and they force the moment and descend into the world. And that soul of theirs, we have already learned, just as they are stiff-necked in this world, so they were before coming into the world. And that holy portion which was given them, they cast it away, and they go about roaming and becoming defiled in that hole of the great abyss, and they take their portion from there, and they force the moment and descend into the world. If he later merits and returns in repentance before his Master, he takes back that very portion of his own. This is what is written: "That which has already been," "and that which shall be, already it has been."<br />
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Come and see: there have not been found any like the sons of Aaron in Israel, except for Moses and Aaron, and they were called the nobles of the children of Israel. And because they sinned before the holy King, they died. But did the Holy One, blessed be He, wish to destroy them? And have we not learned in the secret of the Mishnah that the Holy One, blessed be He, does kindness with all, and even with the wicked of the world He does not wish to destroy them; and these true righteous ones, would it occur to you that they were lost from the world?! Where is their merit? Where is the merit of their father, and the merit of Moses as well? And how could they have been lost? Rather, thus we have learned from the holy luminary: the Holy One, blessed be He, had regard for their honor, and their body was burned within, but their soul was not lost, and we have already explained this. And come and see: before the sons of Aaron died, it is written: "And Eleazar son of Aaron took for himself, etc." — his name was called Pinchas, for he was destined to rectify the crookedness. This is what is written: "And that which shall be, already it has been." And we have learned: all the true righteous ones, before they come into the world, are all prepared above and are called by their names. And Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, from the day the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, he was appointed before the Holy One, blessed be He, and was found with Him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, called him by his name. Happy is his portion above and below! Of him it is written: "Let your father and your mother rejoice." Your father — this is the Holy One, blessed be He. And your mother — this is the Assembly of Israel.<br />
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Rabbi Abba opened, saying: "While the king was at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance." This verse the companions interpreted concerning the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, was present and appointed at Mount Sinai to give the Torah to Israel. My spikenard sent forth its fragrance: Israel gave and brought up a good fragrance that stood and protected them for generation after generation, and they said: "All that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will hear." Another explanation of "while the king was at his table": while Moses went up to receive the Torah from the Holy One, blessed be He, and it was engraved on the two tablets of stone, Israel abandoned that good fragrance which crowned them, and they said to the calf: these are your gods, Israel.<br />
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Now this verse concerns the secret of wisdom. Come and see: it is written: "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden." This river spread out to its sides, at the time when it united with it in a perfect union, when this Eden was in that path which is not known above or below, as it is said: "A path which the bird of prey does not know." And they were found in the will never to be separated, one from the other, always. Then springs and streams go forth and crown the holy Son with all those crowns, and then it is written: "With the crown with which his mother crowned him." And at that time this Son inherited the inheritance of his father and his mother, and then he delighted in that pleasure and delight. And we have learned: at the time when the Supreme King sits in his crowns amid the delights of kings, then it is written, while the king was at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance. This is the Foundation which brings forth blessings to unite the holy King with the Mistress. And then blessings are given in all the worlds, and the upper and lower beings are blessed. And now behold, the holy luminary is crowned with the crowns of this degree; he and the companions raise up praises from below to above, and she is crowned with those praises. Now blessings must be brought forth for all the companions, from above to below, in this holy degree, and Rabbi Elazar his son will speak of those excellent words which he learned from his father.