זוהר, בראשית פ״חZohar, Bereshit 88

Segment 1א׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, עַד לָא חָטָא אָדָם, הֲוָה סָלִיק וְקָאִים בְּחָכְמָה דִנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה. וְלָא הֲוָה מִתְפָּרֵשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי. כֵּיוָן דְּאַסְגֵי תִּיאוּבְתָּא לְמִנְדַע וּלְנַחֲתָא לְתַתָּא, אִתְמְשַׁךְ אֲבַּתְרַיְיהוּ, עַד דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי. וְיָדַע רָע וְשָׁבַק טוֹב. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (תהילים ה׳:ה׳) כִּי לא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע אַתָּה לא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. מַאן דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ בָּתַר רָע, לֵית לֵיהּ דִּירָה עִם אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי.

Until he sinned, man was gifted with the wisdom of celestial illumination, and he did not for an instant quit the Tree of Life. But when he was seduced by his desire to know what was below, he weakly followed it until he became separated from the Tree of Life, and knew evil and forsook good: hence the Scripture says ‘for thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, evil shall not sojourn with thee’ (Ps. 5, 5). He who is drawn after evil may not abide with the Tree of Life.

Segment 2ב׳

וְעַד לָא חָטְאוּ הֲווּ שָׁמְעִין קָלָא מִלְּעֵילָא וְהֲווּ יָדְעֵי חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה וְקָיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמָא דְזִיהֲרָא עִלָּאָה וְלָא דָחֲלֵי. כֵּיוָן דְּחָטְאוּ אֲפִילּוּ קָלָא דִּלְתַתָּא לָא הֲוֵי יָכְלִין לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ.

Before they sinned, the human pair used to hear a voice from above, and were endowed with the higher wisdom; they stood erect with heavenly radiance, and knew no fear. When they sinned, they were not able to stand up even before an earthly voice.

Segment 3ג׳

כְּגַוְונָא דָא עַד לָא חָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקָיְימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי אִתְעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ זוּהֲמָא דְּהַאי חִיוְיָא. דְּהָא כְּדֵין בִּטּוּל יֵצֶר הָרָע הֲוָה מֵעָלְמָא וְדָחוּ לֵיהּ מִנַּיְיהוּ. וּכְדֵין אִתְאֲחִידוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי וְסָלְקוּ לְעֵילָא וְלָא נָחֲתוּ לְתַתָּא.

A similar thing happened later with the Israelites. When Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the impurity of the serpent was removed from them, so that carnal passion was suppressed among them, and in consequence they were able to attach themselves to the Tree of Life, and their thoughts were turned to higher things and not to lower.