Zohar, Bereshit 26

1AND THE LORD GOD FORMED FROM THE GROUND ALL THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD AND ALL THE FOWL OF THE HEAVEN. Said R. Simeon, ‘Alas for the stupidity and the blindness of men who do not perceive the mysteries of the Torah, and do not know that by “the beasts of the field and the fowl of the heaven” are designated the unlearned. Even those of them who are “a living soul” are of no service in the Captivity to the Shekinah or to Moses who is with her, for all the time that she is in exile he does not quit her.’

2Said R. Eleazar, ‘Are we justified in applying what is said of Adam to Moses and Israel?’ R. Simeon answered: ‘My son, is it you who speak thus? Have you forgotten the text, “He announceth the end from the beginning” (Is. 46, 10)?’ He replied: ‘You are certainly right;

3and that is why we are told that Moses did not die, and that he was called Adam; and in reference to him in the last captivity it is written, “and for Adam he found no help”, but all was “against him”. So, too, of the Central Column it is written, “and for the man he found no help”, viz. to bring the Shekinah out of captivity; therefore it is written, “And he turned this way and that and saw that there was no man” (Ex. 2, 12), Moses being after the pattern of the Central Column.

4At that time “the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man” (Gen. 2, 21). “Lord God” designates the Father and the Mother; the “deep sleep” is the “captivity”, as it is said, “and a deep sleep fell upon Abraham” (Ibid. 15, 12). “And he took one of his sides.” Whose sides? What is referred to is the maidens of the Matron. The Father and the Mother took one of these, a white side, fair as the moon, “and closed up the place with flesh”; this is the flesh of which it is written, “seeing that he also is flesh” (Gen. 6, 3), which refers to Moses.