Up to this point we have been considering the apertures through which the soul supervises that which relates to the outside. Another phenomenon is that of the face itself (i.e. the facial expression), which also shows the state of the inner spirit in its place, be it settled or agitated. It must be that the face was intentionally made to do this, for the other limbs of the body do not do so. There is also something else that is not visible today but which ought to be able to be seen: the face should have a shine or radiant splendor (זיו, ziv) like that of the sun.
This was seen in the case of Moses our Teacher, the very skin of whose face radiated (Exodus 34:29). Similarly, the sages said of Pinchas that when the Holy Spirit rested upon him, his face flashed like lightning (Vayikra Rabbah 1:1). The reason why this radiant splendor is not seen today is that man’s face is incomplete after the sin of Adam. However, initially Adam had this radiant splendor, as stated in the Zohar (Bereishit 142b) and Midrashim.
In the future too, all will shine with this splendor, as it is written: “And they that are wise shall radiate splendor like the splendor of the firmament” (Daniel 12:3).