PEARLS OF ZOHAR
Just as pearls shine with all their brilliance, the WORDS of TORA and ZOHAR comfort the SOUL of those who receive its LIGHT, as it is written: "For this is not a trifling thing for you: it is your very LIFE..." (DEUTERONOMY 32, 47).
See, the GUARDIAN of ISRAEL neither slumbers nor sleeps!
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֵין חַיָּה בָּעוֹלָם עוֹשָׂה כְּמוֹ הַצְּבִי אוֹ כְּעוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים, בִּזְמָן שֶׁהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ הוֹלֵךְ מְעַט מְעַט, וּמַחֲזִיר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לְמָקוֹם שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ, וּלְעוֹלָם תָּמִיד הוּא מַחֲזִיר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לַאֲחוֹרָיו, כָּךְ אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אִם אָנוּ גּוֹרְמִים שֶׁתִּסְתַּלֵּק מִבֵּינֵינוּ, יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶתִּבְרַח כְּמוֹ הַצְּבִי אוֹ כְּמוֹ עוֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים, שֶׁהוּא בּוֹרֵחַ וּמַחֲזִיר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לַמָּקוֹם שֶׁהִנִּיחַ, הָדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וְאַף־גַּם־זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא־מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא־גְעַלְתִּים לְכַלֹּתָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הַצְּבִי כְּשֶׁהוּא יָשֵׁן, הוּא יָשֵׁן בְּעַיִן אַחַת, וְהָאַחֶרֶת הוּא נֵעוֹר, כָּךְ אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עֲשֵׂה כְּמוֹ הַצְּבִי, שֶׁהִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל.
RABBI SHIM'ON said: 'There is no animal in the world which does as the gazelle or the deer fawn does: when it moves away a little, turns its head back to where it came from. But always, it turns back. This is what ISRAEL said: 'MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, if it is because of us [our faults] that YOU go away from us, may it be YOUR WILL that YOU go away like a gazelle or a young fawn which goes away but turns its head back to the place it has just left'. This is what is written: "But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them to annihilate them..." (VAYIKRA 26, 44). Another explanation: when the gazelle sleeps, it sleeps with only one eye, while the other is open. Similarly, BNEI ISRAEL say to the HOLY ONE, praised be HE: 'Do like the gazelle, for "The GUARDIAN of ISRAEL neither slumbers nor sleeps!" (PSALM 121, 4)'.
ZOHAR SHEMOT 14a
אִם־יהו״ה לֹא־יִבְנֶה בַיִת שָׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ
אִם־יהו״ה לֹא־יִשְׁמָר־עִיר שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר
If THE LORD will not build a house, its builders have toiled at it in vain; if THE LORD will not guard a city, [its] watcher keeps his vigil in vain.
הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל
See, the GUARDIAN of ISRAEL neither slumbers nor sleeps!