זוהר, האדרא רבא נ״אZohar, Idra Rabba 51

Segment 1א׳

תָּנָא, עַד לָא נַפְקוּ חַבְרַיָיא מֵהַהוּא אִדָּרָא, מִיתוּ (צ"ע ע"א ע"א) רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּרִבִּי יַעֲקֹב, וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה, וְרִבִּי יֵיסָא. וְחָמוּ חַבְרַיָּיא, דַּהֲווֹ נַטְלִין לוֹן מַלְאֲכִין קַדִּישִׁין בְּהַהוּא פַּרְסָא. וְאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִלָּה, וְאִשְׁתְּכָכוּ. צָוַוח וְאָמַר, שֶׁמָּא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם גְּזֵרָה אִתְגְּזַר עֲלָנָא לְאִתְעַנְּשָׁא, דְּאִתְגְלֵי עַל יְדָנָא מַה דְּלָא אִתְגְּלֵי מִיּוֹמָא דְּקָאִים מֹשֶׁה עַל טוּרָא דְּסִינַי, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות ל״ד:כ״ח) וַיְהִי שָׁם עִם יְיָ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה וְגוֹ'. מַה אֲנָא הָכָא. אִי בְּגִין דָּא אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ.

It has been taught: before the Companions went out from that Assembly, there died (requires examination; folio 71a) R. Jose bar Jacob, and R. Hizkiah, and R. Jesse. And the Companions saw that holy angels were carrying them in that curtain. And R. Simeon said a word, and they were stilled. He cried out and said: Perhaps, God forbid, a decree has been decreed against us, to be punished, because there has been revealed through us what was not revealed since the day that Moses stood upon Mount Sinai, as it is written: “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights,” etc. (Ex. 34, 28). What am I here, if it was on account of this that they were punished?

Segment 2ב׳

שָׁמַע קָלָא, זַכָּאָה אַנְתְּ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ וְחַבְרַיָּיא, אִלֵּין דְּקַיְימִין בַּהֲדָךְ, דְּהָא אִתְגְּלֵי לְכוֹן מַה דְּלָא אִתְגְּלֵי לְכָל חֵילָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא כְּתִיב, (יהושע ו׳:כ״ו) בִּבְכוֹרוֹ יְיַסְּדֶנָּה וּבִצְעִירוֹ יַצִּיב דְּלָתֶיהָ. וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּבִרְעוּ סַגִּי וְתַקִּיף, אִתְדָּבָקוּ נַפְשַׁתְהוֹן בְּשַׁעֲתָא דָּא דְּאִתְנְסִיבוּ. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן, דְּהָא בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא אִסְתָּלָקוּ. (דלא הוה כן לאינון דהוו קמייהו, אמאי מיתו)

He heard a voice: Happy are you, R. Simeon; happy is your portion, and the Companions who stand with you, for there has been revealed to you what was not revealed to all the host above. But observe, for it is written: “with the loss of his first-born shall he lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up its gates” (Josh. 6, 26). And all the more so, since with a great and strong desire their souls cleaved at this hour when they were taken. Happy is their portion, for they departed in perfection. (a variant adds: which was not so for those who were before them — why did they die?)

Segment 3ג׳

תָּאנָא, בְּעוֹד דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין מִלִּין, אִתְרְגִישׁו עִלָּאִין וְתַּתָּאִין, (דאינון רתיכין) וְקָלָא אִתְּעַר בְּמָאתָן וְחַמְשִׁין עָלְמִין דְּהָא מִלִּין עַתִּיקִין לְתַתָּא אִתְגַּלְיָין, וְעַד (נ"א ועוד) דְּאִלֵּין מִתְבַּסְּמָן נִשְׁמָתַיְיהוּ בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין, נַפְקָא נִשְׁמָתַיְיהוּ בִּנְשִׁיקָה, וְאִתְקַשָּׁר בְּהַהוּא פַּרְסָא, וְנַטְלִין לְהוּ מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי, וְסַלְּקִין לוֹן לְעֵילָּא. וַאֲמַאי אִלֵּין. מִשּׁוּם דְּעָאלֻן וְלָא נַפְקוּ זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא מִן קַדְמַת דְּנָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אַחֲרִינֵי עָאלוּ וְנַפְקוּ.

It has been taught: while the words were being revealed, those above and those below were shaken (a variant adds: which are chariots), and a voice was aroused in two hundred and fifty worlds, for ancient words were being revealed below. And while (a variant reads: and moreover) the souls of these were being sweetened in those words, their souls went out in a kiss, and were bound in that curtain; and supernal angels carried them and brought them up on high. And why these? Because they had entered and had not come out another time, before this; and all the others entered and came out.