59. “And I came etc.” And I came to seal the Torah from your academy only because the winged one will come here, as I know that he will enter no other academy, but your academy. At that hour, Rabbi Shimon told him about that oath that the winged one had taken. The Messiah shuddered and raised his voice, and the firmaments shuddered, and the Great Sea shuddered, the leviathan shuddered, and the world was about to overturn. At that moment, he saw Rabbi Ḥiyya at Rabbi Shimon’s feet. He said: “Who admitted here a man dressed in a garment of that world,” that is, in a body of this world**? Rabbi Shimon said: “It is Rabbi Ḥiyya, a light from the lamp of Torah.” He replied: “He and his sons will be gathered in,”** that is, they will pass away from this world, “and they will become part of your academy.” Rabbi Shimon said: “Let time be given to him.” They gave him time.

Explanation: The Messiah said to him that he had come “to seal” only because “the winged one,” came to his academy, [the one] who wants to know what he told him. With regard to his comment: “As I know that he will enter no other academy,” that serves to exclude the academies of Hezekiah, king of Judah and Ahijah the Shilonite (section 58).

[The Zohar] continues: “The Messiah shuddered and raised his voice etc.” On account of the revelation of the end, which Metatron revealed – that at the time there will be terrible troubles for Israel, the firmaments will shake, and so will the Great Sea, and the world will overturn, in the mystical meaning of “(the world will) lie in ruins for one (thousand years”; Sanhedrin 97a) – he therefore raised his voice, as he wanted to temper all these shocks.

[The Zohar] continues: “Who admitted here a man dressed in a garment of that world?” The Messiah was surprised by Rabbi Ḥiyya, who was dressed in the corporeal body of this world – “in a garment of that world.” Since he merited to be here and merited the revelation of Metatron and his oath, he has thus already rectified all the evil aspects [within himself] (as stated in section 56 above, second to last paragraph; see there), and has likewise merited receiving the Messiah. Accordingly, he has completed all his work in this world and has nothing more to do in this world. Consequently, he should depart and enter the academy of Rabbi Shimon in the Garden of Eden. Why, then, should he remain in this world for no reason?

[The Zohar] concludes: “Rabbi Shimon said, let time be given to him.” In other words, Rabbi Shimon proved to him that (Rabbi Ḥiyya) should be given fresh time, since he still needs to live in this world and engage in new rectifications. Subsequently, “they gave him time,” that is, the Messiah and Rabbi Shimon informed him of what he still has to do in this world.