23. On the day when Rabbi Shimon wanted to depart from the world and was organizing his things, the friends gathered at his place. Before him were Rabbi Elazar his son, Rabbi Aba, and the rest of the friends, and the house was full.
Rabbi Shimon raised his eyes and saw that the house had been filled. Rabbi Shimon wept and said, “At another time when I was sick, Rabbi Pinhas Ben Yair was before me. Until I sorted out my place in the Garden of Eden, they waited for me until now. When I returned, a fire was circling before me, and it never stopped, and no person came to me unless by permission. But now I see that the fire has stopped and the house has become full.”
24. While they were seated, Rabbi Shimon opened his eyes and saw what he saw, and fire was encircling the house. Everyone went out and Rabbi Elazar his son, and Rabbi Aba remained, while the rest of the friends sat outside. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar his son, “Go outside and see if Rabbi Yitzhak is here, for I vouched for him. Tell him to sort out his things and sit with me. Happy is he.
25. Rabbi Shimon arose and sat, and laughed, and he was glad. He said, “Where are the friends?” Rabbi Elazar arose and let them in. They sat before him. Rabbi Shimon raised his hands and prayed a prayer and was happy. He said, “These are the friends who were in the Idra Raba*; let them come here.” Everyone went out, and Rabbi Elazar his son, Rabbi Aba, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Hiya remained. In the meantime, Rabbi Yitzhak entered. Rabbi Shimon said to him, “How good is your portion; what joy should be added to you this day.” Rabbi Aba sat behind his shoulders, and Rabbi Elazar before him.
* Idra Raba [The Great Circle]: The name of the cave where Rabbi Shimon and his disciples hid from the Romans and wrote The Zohar.
26. Rabbi Shimon said, “Now is a time of good will, and I would like to come to the next world without shame. There are holy matters that I have not revealed thus far that I would like to reveal before the Shechina [Divinity], so it will not be said that I departed from the world with a flaw. Until now, they have been hidden in my heart, so as to enter with them into the next world.
27. “This is how I am arranging you: Rabbi Aba will write; Rabbi Elazar will learn verbally; and the rest of the friends will whisper in their hearts.” Rabbi Aba arose from behind his shoulders, and Rabbi Elazar his son sat in front of him. Rabbi Shimon said to him, “Arise, my son, for another will sit in this place.” Rabbi Elazar arose.
28. Rabbi Shimon cloaked himself in his garment and sat down. He opened and said, “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do all those who go down to Dumah.” “The dead do not praise the Lord.” So it is indeed, since they are called dead, since the Creator is called Living and He is present among all those who are called living, the righteous ones, and not among those who are called dead, the wicked ones. The end of the verse proves, for it is written, “nor do all those who go down to Dumah,” all those who go down to Angel Dumah, who will remain in Hell. But those who are called living are not so, for the Creator desires their glory.
29. Rabbi Shimon said, “How different is this time from the Idra Raba in the portion Nasso, since in the Idra, the Creator and His Merkavot [structures/chariots] came, and now, the Creator is here, He came with the righteous in the Garden of Eden, which did not happen in the Idra.
The Creator desires the glory of the righteous more than His own glory, as with Jeroboam, who was complaining and performed idol-worship. The Creator waited for him and did not punish him. Since he stretched out his hand against Prophet Ido, his hand was dried, as it is written, “And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up.” And for committing idol-worship, it is not written, but rather for having stretched out his hand against Prophet Ido. And now the Creator desires our glory, as all the righteous in the Garden of Eden came with Him.
30. Rabbi Shimon said, “Rav Hamnuna Saba is here, with seventy righteous ones around him, engraved in crowns and each of them shines with the brightness of the radiance of holy Atik, the most concealed of all that are concealed, and he comes with gladness to hear these words that I am saying.”
While he was sitting, he said, “Rabbi Pinhas Ben Yair is here, fix him his place.” The friends who were there were startled and arose and sat at the edge of the house, and Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba remained in front of Rabbi Shimon.
Rabbi Shimon said, “We were in the Idra Raba, when all the friends were speaking, and I was among them. Now only I speak and everyone listens to my words, upper ones and lower ones. Happy is my portion on this day.”
31. He said, “I am to my beloved and my passion is to him. All the days when I was connected to this world, I was connected to the Creator in one connection. For this reason, now, my passion is for Him, as He and His entire camp gladly came to hear hidden words and the praise of holy Atik, the most concealed of all that are concealed, who is separated and distinguished from everything and not distinguished, for everything adheres to him, and he adheres to everything; he is everything.”