53. “A voice sounded out etc.” A voice sounded out and declared: “Lower your eyes, do not raise your head, and do not stare.” He lowered his eyes and saw a light that was shining from afar. The voice returned as before and proclaimed: “Hidden and sealed lofty ones, the open-eyed, who roam through the entire world, look and see. Sleeping lower ones, whose light of the eyes is sealed in the sockets of your eyes**, awaken.”**

“The voice returned as before.” That is, after he had obeyed by lowering his eyes and not raising his head, he merited to hear this declaration, through which he obtained all that he had sought, as explained below.

[The Zohar] continues: “Hidden and sealed lofty ones, the open-eyed, who roam through the entire world, look and see. Sleeping lower ones, whose light of the eyes is sealed in your sockets, awaken.” The declaration awakened those souls that had obeyed the words of Rabbi Shimon, both those who were there and those who were not there. There were two groups, as explained below.

That which [the Zohar] stated: “Hidden [and sealed] lofty ones... look and see. Sleeping lower ones, etc. awaken.” The declaration went out to all the souls of the righteous and divided them into two groups: One group is the holy lofty ones, who are “hidden and sealed,” and who merited the opening of their eyes, and to roam the entire world. To them, [the declaration] called upon them to look and to see, i.e., to draw forth the supernal lights. This is [meant to be done] together with the second group, which is all those camps that go and are roaming after the Holy One, blessed be He, and from His Presence, and they depart from His Presence,. They are called “sleeping lower ones, whose light of the eyes is sealed in your sockets,” as they are asleep and the light of their eyes is sealed in the sockets of their eyes. He called upon these ones to awaken.