זוהר, האדרא רבא מ״וZohar, Idra Rabba 46

Segment 1א׳

וְתָאנָא בִּצְנִיעוּתָא דְּסִפְרָא, דְּכָל דִּינִין דְּמִשְׁתַּכְחִין מִדְּכוּרָא, תַּקִּיפִין בְּרֵישָׁא, וְנַיְיחִין בְּסוֹפָא. וְכָל דִּינִין דְּמִשְׁתַּכְחִין מִנּוּקְבָּא, נַיְיחִין בְּרֵישָׁא, וְתַקִּיפִין בְּסוֹפָא. וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּאִתְעָבֵידוּ כַּחֲדָא, לָא יַכְלִין עָלְמָא לְמִסְבַּל. עַד דְּעַתִּיק דְּעַתִּיקֵי סְתִימָא דְּכֹלָּא, פָּרִישׁ דָּא מִן דָּא, וְחָבַר לוֹן לְאִתְבַּסְּמָא כַּחֲדָא.

And it has been taught in the Book of the Hidden Mystery: all judgements that are found from the male are strong at the beginning and at rest at the end. And all judgements that are found from the female are at rest at the beginning and strong at the end. And were it not that they were made as one, the world could not bear them. Until the Ancient of Ancients, the most hidden of all, separated this from that, and joined them to be sweetened together.

Segment 2ב׳

וְכַד פָּרִישׁ לוֹן, אָפִּיל דּוּרְמִיטָא לִזְעֵיר אַפִּין, וּפָרִישׂ לְנוּקְבָּא מֵאֲחוֹרוֹי דְּסִטְרוֹי, וְאַתְקִין לָהּ כָּל תִּקּוּנָהָא, וְאַצְנְעָא לְיוֹמָא דִּילֵיהּ, לְמֵיתָהָא לִדְכוּרָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:כ״א) וַיַּפֵּל יְיָ אֱלֹהִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל הָאָדָם וַיִּישָׁן. מַהוּ וַיִּישָׁן. הַאי הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים מ״ד:כ״ד) עוּרָה לָמָּה תִּישָׁן יְיָ. וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעוֹתָיו, מַאי אַחַת. דָּא הִיא נוּקְבָּא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים ו׳:ט׳) אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי, וְסַלְּקָא, וְאִתְתַּקְנָא. וּבְאַתְרָהָא שְׁקִיעַ רַחֲמֵי וְחֶסֶד, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:כ״א) וַיִסְגוֹר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה. וּכְתִיב (יחזקאל ל״ו:כ״ו) וַהֲסִירוֹתִי אֶת לֵב הָאֶבֶן מִבְּשַׂרְכֶם וְנָתַתִּי לָכֶם לֵב בָּשָׂר.

And when He separated them, He cast a deep sleep upon the Small of Countenance, and separated the female from behind His sides, and set in order for her all her adornments, and stored her away for His day, to bring her to the male. This is what is written: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept” (Gen. 2, 21). What is “and he slept”? This is what is written: “Awake, why do You sleep, O Lord?” (Ps. 44, 24). “And He took one of his ribs” — what is “one”? This is the female, as you say, “My dove, my undefiled, is but one” (S. S. 6, 9). And she rises, and is set in order. And in her place mercy and chesed are sunk. This is what is written: “and closed up the flesh in its place” (Gen. 2, 21). And it is written: “and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36, 26).

Segment 3ג׳

וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָעָא לְמֵיעַל שַׁבְּתָא הֲוָה בָּרֵי רוּחִין וְשֵׁדִין וְעִלְעוּלִין, וְעַד לָא סִיֵּים לוֹן, אָתַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּתִקּוּנָהָא, וְיָתִיבַת קַמֵּיהּ. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיָתִיבַת קָמֵּיהּ, אֲנָח לוֹן לְאִינּוּן בִּרְיָיאן, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא יַתְבַת עִם מַלְכָּא, וְאִתְחַבָּרוּ אַפִּין בְּאַפִּין, מַאן יֵיעוּל בֵּינַיְיהוּ, מַאן הוּא דְּיִקְרַב בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. (בגין כך סתימא דמלה עונתן של תלמידי חכמים דידעין רזא דנא משבת לשבת.) וְכַד אִתְחַבְּרוּ, אִתְבְּסָמוּ דָּא בְּדָא. יוֹמָא דְּכֹלָּא אִתְבְּסָם בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִתְבְּסָמוּ דִּינִין דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִתְתְּקָנוּ עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין.

And at the hour when the Sabbath was about to enter, He was creating spirits and demons and whirlwinds; and before He had finished them, the Matrona came in her adornments and sat before Him. At the hour that she sat before Him, He left those creatures, and they were not completed. Once the Matrona sat with the King, and they were joined face to face, who shall come between them? Who is it that shall draw near to them? (A variant adds: therefore — the hidden sense of the matter — the appointed season of the students of the Torah who know this mystery is from Sabbath to Sabbath.) And when they were joined, they were sweetened one in the other: the day on which all is sweetened. And therefore the judgements were sweetened one in the other, and upper and lower were set in order.