זוהר, ויקהל ג׳Zohar, Vayakhel 3

Segment 1א׳

אַדְּהָכִי דְּאִתְעַסְּקוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, נָהַר יְמָמָא. קָמוּ וְאָתוּ לְקָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לוֹן, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֶלְעָזָר בְּרִי, אַנְתְּ וְחַבְרַיָּיא אַסְתִּימוּ גַּרְמַיְיכוּ אִלֵּין תְּלַת יוֹמִין, דְּלָא תִּפְקוּן לְבַר בְּגִין דְּמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּמָתָא, וְאִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְחַבְּלָא, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְחַבְּלָא, יָכִיל לְחַבְּלָא, לְכָל מַאן דְּאִתְחָזֵי קַמֵיהּ.

Whilst they were thus occupied in the study of the Torah the day broke. They then arose and came into the presence of R. Simeon. As soon as he saw them he said: ‘Eleazar, my son! You, together with the Companions, must hide yourselves during the next three days, and not go out of doors, as the Angel of Death is now in the town with permission to do harm, and once such permission is given him he can lay hands on anyone that he sees.

Segment 2ב׳

וְתוּ דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּאִתְחָזֵי קַמֵּיהּ, סָלִיק וְאַסְטֵי עָלֵיהּ, וְאַדְכַּר חוֹבוֹי, וּבָעֵי דִּינָא מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא אִתְעָדֵי מִתַּמָּן, עַד דְּאִתְּדָּן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וְאִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ וְקָטִיל לֵיהּ.

For if he catches sight of any man he ascends on high, brings an indictment against him, makes a record of his sins, and demands judgement from the Holy One, blessed be He, and he does not budge from thence until he obtains sentence against that man, after which, having received due permission, he proceeds to take his life.’

Segment 3ג׳

אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הָאֱלהִים, רוּבָּא דְּעָלְמָא, לָא מִיתוּ, עַד לָא מָטָא זִמְנַיְיהוּ, בַּר דְּלָא יַדְעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא גַּרְמַיְיהוּ, דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמִיתָא אַפְקֵי לֵיהּ מִבֵּיתֵיהּ לְבֵי קִבְרֵי, מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינֵי נְשֵׁי, אֲמַאי בֵּינֵי נְשֵׁי. דְּהָכִי (רכ"ז ע"א) הוּא אוֹרְחוֹי, מִיּוֹמָא דְּפַתֵּי לְחַוָּה, וּבְגִינָהּ גָּרִים מוֹתָא לְכָל עָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא (כד) קָטִיל בַּר נָשׁ, וְגוּבְרֵי אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ עִם מִיתָא, עָאל בֵּינֵי נְשֵׁי בְּאָרְחָא.

R. Simeon further said: ‘I swear to you that the majority of people do not die before their time, but only those who know not how to take heed to themselves. For at the time when a dead body is taken from the house to the place of burial the Angel of Death haunts the abodes of the women. Why of the women? Because that has been his habit since the time that he seduced Eve, through whom he brought death upon the world. Hence, when he takes a man’s life, and the males are accompanying the dead body, he mingles himself on the way among the women, and he has then the power to take the life of the sons of men.