This story from the Zohar is one of my favorite stories. (Zohar, Vayechi, Section 19, Verses 144-152.) We know Rabbi Shimon had a small and closed group of students around him. Rabbi Yitzchak was one of them.

Rabbi Yitzchak was sitting at the door and was sad. Rabbi Yehuda came out and saw he was sitting there and was sad. Rabbi Yehuda said, “Why is today different than any other day?”

We know to truly connect to the Light of the Creator one must be full of joy.

Rabbi Yehuda said, “What happened? Something different must have happened today that you are sad.”

Rabbi Yitzchak said, “I have come to ask three things. One, when you say the words of Torah, the words of wisdom, and when you mention things that I have taught, things that I have shared with you, that you should say them in my name.”

When we share words of wisdom, it’s important to say the name of the person who taught them. It brings Light to their soul, even if they have left this world.

“Rabbi Yehuda, everything you have heard me say, say it in my name. The second thing is that you teach my son Joseph, who was young at that time, that you teach him that path.”

The third thing Rabbi Yitzchak asks of Rabbi Yehuda is that for the seven days after Rabbi Yitzchak’s death, Rabbi Yehuda should go to the grave and make his requests on his grave.

Rabbi Yitzchak tells Rabbi Yehuda that he has a premonition he will die. Rabbi Yehuda asks, “How do you know you will leave this world?”

We know that people, when they are on a high spiritual level, when they sleep, their soul, through their dreams, reveals secrets with great clarity.

Rabbi Yitzchak said, “My dreams are not as clear as they used to be. What this means is my soul and body are beginning to separate. When I come to a certain place in the prayer, Shome’ah tefilah, (Verse 146) and look at the wall, I don’t see my shadow.”

We know the shadow is the bridge between the body and the soul. As the connection diminishes, the shadow diminishes.

Rabbi Yitzchak had the feeling he was about to leave this world, and that’s why he went to Rabbi Yehuda. Where do you go with a problem, with a judgment? They went to Rabbi Shimon. As they came, of course he was studying.

Rabbi Shimon raised his eyes and saw Rabbi Yitzchak. Rabbi Shimon saw that the Angel of Death was dancing around Rabbi Yitzchak. Rabbi Shimon grabbed the hand of Rabbi Yitzchak and he said, “I decree whoever usually comes into my house, he can enter; whoever does not usually come into my house, should not enter.” Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Yehuda walked in. The Angel of Death was tied up outside.

As we know, where Rabbi Shimon is, there cannot be any entrance for the Angel of Death, for danger, for judgment.

Rabbi Shimon saw that Rabbi Yitzchak still had another 8 hours to live in this world. What do you do if they only have 8 hours? You try to reveal a little more Light.

Rabbi Shimon sat Rabbi Yitzchak in front of him and was teaching him, revealing more Light, revealing more secrets. Rabbi Shimon said to his son, Rabbi Elazar, “Guard, and whoever comes by, don’t speak to him. If he wants to enter, make sure you do everything you can so that they cannot enter.”

Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Yitzchak, “Have you seen the image of your father?”

We know a person, before they leave this world, his parents, and those close to them that have left before, appear to him.

Rabbi Yitzchak said, “No, I haven’t seen him yet.”

As we hear the words from the Zohar, we are not hearing a story, we are awakening the energy both for ourselves and for the world. It’s important that we have this consciousness, that when we hear the words from the Zohar, that we are not hearing a story, that we are awakening the energy both for ourselves and for the world.

Rabbi Shimon stood up and said to the Creator, “Master of the world, Rabbi Yitzchak is one of ours, one of the close students. He is one of the seven.”

We know Rabbi Shimon had 10 close students, himself, his son, and eight others. But at the time of the Great Assembly, three of the friends had completed their correction and left this world. Then there were seven. Rabbi Shimon called them “the eyes.”

Rabbi Shimon said, “I am holding on to Rabbi Yitzchak, give him to me.” A voice called out and said, “Rabbi Shimon holds up the chair of the Creator.” The voice said, “He is yours, Rabbi Yitzchak is yours. When you decide to come, to leave this world, bring him with you.”

As this was happening, Rabbi Elazar, who was standing outside making sure the Angel of Death did not come in, he saw the Angel of Death go away. Rabbi Elazar said there could be no judgment in the place where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was.

The story goes on. They helped Rabbi Yitzchak come back down into this world.

The most important verse is lait koftera detifsa, beater Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai sachiach (Verse 152): There can be no judgment in the place where Rabbi Shimon is.

We know when a person, certainly the righteous, have left us, their energy is in the work they have left in this world. Rabbi Shimon is in the Zohar. This story is to give us a greater appreciation of the true power of Rabbi Shimon, of the true power of connecting to the Zohar. To the degree we cleave to the Zohar, to the degree that we cleave to Rabbi Shimon, to that degree we merit the Light.

There can be no judgment where Rabbi Shimon is. Every one of us has a connection to Rabbi Simon in a different way. When there is a true connection, as Rabbi Yitzchak had, there can be no judgment.