זוהר במדבר — דף קיז ע”א

Rabbi Shimon opens with the psalm — *"For I am assiduous more than any enemy"* — and teaches that keeping the Torah protects more than any weapon. The Torah is the covenant of the Holy One, Blessed be He, with Israel, and it envelops Israel on three sides. When Israel engages in Torah, the Holy One shines upon them like a protective cloud. The verse *"for I am assiduous"* teaches that even in times of distress, one must engage in Torah and trust in its protection. Three dimensions emerge in Torah study: the intellect that unfolds in the verse, the spiritual world dedicated to Torah, and the elevated dimension of unity between Torah and the soul. The Zohar concludes that Torah is a life-work that has no substitute in this world.