זוהר, במדבר ח׳Zohar, Bamidbar 8

Segment 1א׳

רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח (תהילים כ״ה:א׳-ב׳) לְדָוִד אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא אֱלֹהַי בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי וְגוֹ', מַאי קָא חָמָא דָּוִד לְסַדְּרָא הַאי שְׁבָחָא הָכִי. וְכֻלְּהוּ שְׁבָחֵי דְּאִינּוּן בְּאַלְפָא בֵּיתָא כֻּלְּהוּ שְׁלֵמִין, וְהַאי חַסְרָא דְּלָא אִית בֵּיהּ ו'. וַאֲמַאי סִדּוּרָא דָּא לְמִנְפַּל עַל אַנְפִּין.

R. Simeon began a discourse, citing the verse: “[A Psalm] of David. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift my soul. O my God, in thee have I trusted”, etc. (Ps. 25, 1-22). ‘Why did David’, he asked, ‘compose this Psalm in an alphabetic acrostic, and besides, why is the letter Vau absent therefrom? Why, again, has this Psalm been prescribed as the “falling-on-one’s-face prayer”?

Segment 2ב׳

אֶלָּא (תא חזי) רָזָא עִלָּאָה הוּא, גָּנִיז בֵּין חַבְרַיָּיא. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּלֵילְיָא עָאל, (ושלטא) אִילָנָא תַּתָּאָה דְּתַלְיָיא בֵּיהּ מוֹתָא פָּרִישׁ עַנְפּוֹי וּמְכַסְּיָא לְכֹלָּא. וְעַל דָּא אִתְחֲשָׁךְ. וְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא טַעֲמִין טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא, וְאַקְדִּים בַּר נָשׁ וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ פִּקְדוֹנָא דְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ, וְאַפְקְדֵיהּ בִּידֵיהּ בְּפִקְדוֹנָא. וּבְגִין דְּנָטִיל לוֹן בְּפִקְדוֹנָא, תָּב פִּקְדוֹנָא לְמָארֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָתֵי צַפְרָא. כַּד אָתֵי צַפְרָא וְתָב לְגַבֵּיהּ פִּקְדוֹנֵיהּ, בָּעֵי לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ מְהֵימָנָא עִלָּאָה.

Now the solution of all this is based on an esoteric doctrine known to the Companions, which is as follows. When night falls the Nethertree, from which death issues, spreads its branches so as to cover the whole of the universe. And so darkness prevails, and all the people of the world have a foretaste of death. And every man hastens to surrender his soul into His Hand as a trust. And inasmuch as He takes them in trust He returns each one to her owner in the morning. Thus, as each morning arrives, man, having received back his deposit, ought to render blessings to the Holy One, blessed be He, who is trustworthy above all.

Segment 3ג׳

לְבָתַר דְּקָם, עָאל לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא, מִעְטַּר בְּטוֹטְפֵי. אִתְכְּסֵּי בְּכִיסוּי דְּצִיצִית. עָאל וּמַדְכֵּי גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּקוּרְבְּנִין בְּקַדְמִיתָא. לְבָתַר קַבִּיל עָלֵיהּ עוֹל מַלְכוּתָא בְּסִדּוּרָא דִּשְׁבָחֵי דְּדָוִד, דְּאִינּוּן סִדּוּרָא דְּעוֹל מַלְכוּתָא. וּבְסִדּוּרָא דִּשְׁבָחָא דָּא, אַשְׁרָא עָלֵיהּ הַהוּא עוֹל. לְבָתַר סִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דִּמְיוּשָׁב, וּצְלוֹתָא דִּמְעוּמָד, לְקַשְּׁרָא לוֹן כַּחֲדָא.

Then, having risen, a man goes to Synagogue, adorns himself with phylacteries and enwraps himself in a garment provided with fringes, then he first purifies himself by the [recital of the regulations concerning the] sacrifices, then follows the recital of the hymns of David by which he accepts upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. After that comes the prayer said sitting, followed by the prayer said standing, the two being knit together into one.